Flux and polarization signals of spatially inhomogeneous gaseous exoplanets

Abstract

We present numerically calculated, disk--integrated, spectropolarimetric signals of starlight that is reflected by vertically and horizontally inhomogeneous gaseous exoplanets. We include various spatial features that are present on Solar System's gaseous planets: belts and zones, cyclonic spots, and polar hazes, to test whether such features leave traces in the disk--integrated flux and polarization signals. Broadband flux and polarization signals of starlight that is reflected by gaseous exoplanets are calculated using an efficient, adding--doubling radiative transfer code, that fully includes single and multiple scattering and polarization. The planetary model atmospheres are vertically inhomogeneous and can be horizontally inhomogeneous, and contain gas molecules and/or cloud and/or aerosol particles.

12 pages, 11 figures

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Cited by in corpus (13)

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• Polarized Radiative Transfer in Planetary Atmospheres and the Polarization of Exoplanets
• Pre-conditioned Backward Monte Carlo solutions to radiative transport in planetary atmospheres. Fundamentals: Sampling of propagation directions in polarising media
• The polarization of the planet-hosting WASP-18 system
• A Multiple Scattering Polarized Radiative Transfer Model: Application to HD 189733b
• A transmission spectrum of the planet candidate WD 1856+534 b and a lower limit to its mass
• Polarized Signatures of a Habitable World: Comparing Models of an Exoplanet Earth with Visible and Near-infrared Earthshine Spectra
• Polarimetric investigation of selected cloud compositions in exoplanetary atmospheres
• How much large dust could be present in hot exozodiacal dust systems?
• Generic Models for Disk-Resolved and Disk-Integrated Phase Dependent Linear Polarization of Light Reflected from Exoplanets
• A general polarimetric model for transiting and non-transiting ringed exoplanets