Detecting Proxima b's atmosphere with JWST targeting CO2 at 15 micron using a high-pass spectral filtering technique

Abstract

Exoplanet Proxima b will be an important laboratory for the search for extraterrestrial life for the decades ahead. Here we discuss the prospects of detecting carbon dioxide at 15 um using a spectral filtering technique with the Medium Resolution Spectrograph (MRS) mode of the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). At superior conjunction, the planet is expected to show a contrast of up to 100 ppm with respect to the star. At a spectral resolving power of R=1790-2640, about 100 spectral CO2 features are visible within the 13.2-15.8 um (3B) band, which can be combined to boost the planet atmospheric signal by a factor 3-4, depending on the atmospheric temperature structure and CO2 abundance. If atmospheric conditions are favorable (assuming an Earth-like atmosphere), with this new application to the cross-correlation technique carbon dioxide can be detected within a few days of JWST observations. However, this can only be achieved if both the instrumental spectral response and the stellar spectrum can be determined to a relative precision of <= 1e-4 between adjacent spectral channels. Absolute flux calibration is not required, and the method is insensitive to the strong broadband variability of the host star. Precise calibration of the spectral features of the host star may only be attainable by obtaining deep observations of the system during inferior conjunction that serve as a reference. The high-pass filter spectroscopic technique with the MIRI MRS can be tested on warm Jupiters, Neptunes, and super-Earths with significantly higher planet/star contrast ratios than the Proxima system.

arXiv comment11 Pages, 4 Figures: Published in AJ - revision: corrected typo in author name

References in corpus (33)

• Habitable Zones Around Main-Sequence Stars: New Estimates
• A terrestrial planet candidate in a temperate orbit around Proxima Centauri
• Models of Stars, Brown Dwarfs and Exoplanets
• The orbital motion, absolute mass, and high-altitude winds of exoplanet HD209458b
• Extreme Water Loss and Abiotic O${}_2$ Buildup On Planets Throughout the Habitable Zones of M Dwarfs
• Biosignatures from Earth-Like Planets Around M Dwarfs
• The Mid-Infrared Instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope I: Introduction
• The fast spin-rotation of a young extrasolar planet
• Characterizing transiting exoplanet atmospheres with JWST
• A Re-appraisal of the Habitability of Planets Around M Dwarf Stars
• Imaging Spectroscopy for Extrasolar Planet Detection
• The Mid-Infrared Instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope, VI: The Medium Resolution Spectrometer
• Finding extraterrestrial life using ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy
• The habitability of Proxima Centauri b II. Possible climates and Observability
• Combining high-dispersion spectroscopy (HDS) with high contrast imaging (HCI): Probing rocky planets around our nearest neighbors
• The Mid-Infrared Instrument for JWST, II: Design and Build
• The habitability of Proxima Centauri b. I. Irradiation, rotation and volatile inventory from formation to the present
• A combined transmission spectrum of the Earth-sized exoplanets TRAPPIST-1 b and c
• First radius measurements of very low mass stars with the VLTI
• Mass-radius relation of low and very low-mass stars revisited with the VLTI
• Atmospheric characterization of Proxima b by coupling the Sphere high-contrast imager to the Espresso spectrograph
• Feasibility Studies for the Detection of $O_2$ in an Earth-like Exoplanet
• The Habitable Zones of Pre-Main-Sequence Stars
• MOST Observations of our Nearest Neighbor: Flares on Proxima Centauri
• Prospects for Characterizing the Atmosphere of Proxima Centauri b
• Climate instability on tidally locked exoplanets
• Influence of Stellar Flares on the Chemical Composition of Exoplanets and Spectra
• Constraints on Planet Occurrence around Nearby Mid-to-Late M Dwarfs from the MEarth Project
• No Conclusive Evidence for Transits of Proxima b in MOST photometry
• The Pale Green Dot: A Method to Characterize Proxima Centauri b using Exo-Aurorae
• Moderate Resolution Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) Observations of M, L, and T Dwarfs
• Spectroscopic Coronagraphy for Planetary Radial Velocimetry of Exoplanets
• The MIRI Medium Resolution Spectrometer calibration pipeline

Cited by in corpus (18)

• Exoplanetary Atmospheres: Key Insights, Challenges and Prospects
• Exoplanet Biosignatures: Observational Prospects
• A temperate exo-Earth around a quiet M dwarf at 3.4 parsecs
• The Role of N2 as a Geo-Biosignature for the Detection and Characterization of Earth-like Habitats
• Magma ocean evolution of the TRAPPIST-1 planets
• A multiple planet system of super-Earths orbiting the brightest red dwarf star GJ887
• Characterizing Atmospheres of Transiting Earth-like Exoplanets Orbiting M Dwarfs with James Webb Space Telescope
• Evaluating the Plausible Range of N2O Biosignatures on Exo-Earths: An Integrated Biogeochemical, Photochemical, and Spectral Modeling Approach
• Life as the Only Reason for the Existence of N2-O2-Dominated Atmospheres
• ExoPlaSim: Extending the Planet Simulator for Exoplanets
• Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE). X. Detectability of currently known exoplanets and synergies with future IR/O/UV reflected-starlight imaging missions
• Detecting Biosignatures in the Atmospheres of Gas Dwarf Planets with the James Webb Space Telescope
• The Impact of Planetary Rotation Rate on the Reflectance and Thermal Emission Spectrum of Terrestrial Exoplanets Around Sun-like Stars
• High-resolution Spectra for a Wide Range of Habitable Zone Planets around Sun-like Stars
• High-Resolution Spectral Discriminants of Ocean Loss for M Dwarf Terrestrial Exoplanets
• Estimating Planetary Mass with Deep Learning
• Detecting Atmospheric Molecules of Temperate Terrestrial Exoplanets using High-Resolution Spectroscopy in the Mid Infrared Domain
• The climates and thermal emission spectra of prime nearby temperate rocky exoplanet targets