Radiative Flux from a High-Resolution Atmospheric Dynamics Simulation of a Hot-Jupiter for JWST and Ariel

Abstract

We present medium-wave ($\sim$0.5~$\mu$m to $\sim$13~$\mu$m) radiative flux distributions and spectra derived from high-resolution atmospheric dynamics simulations of an exoplanet \WASPP. This planet serves to illustrate several important features. Assuming different chemical compositions for its atmosphere (e.g., H${}_2$/He only and $Z\in \{1,12\}$ times solar metallicity), the outgoing radiative flux is computed using full radiative transfer that folds in the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Ariel instrument characteristics. We find that the observed variability depends strongly on the the assumed chemistry and the instrument wavelength range, hence the probed altitude of the atmosphere. With H${}_2$/He only, the flux and variability originate near the 10${}^5$~Pa level; with solar and higher metallicity, $\sim$10${}^3$~Pa level is probed, and the variability is distinguishably reduced. Our calculations show that JWST and Ariel have the sensitivity to capture the atmospheric variability of exoplanets like \WASPP, depending on the metallicity -- both in repeated eclipse and phase-curve observations.

References in corpus (14)

• The James Webb Space Telescope
• Exploring Exoplanet Populations with NASA's Kepler Mission
• ExoMol line lists XVIII. The high temperature spectrum of VO
• ExoMol line lists -- XXXIX. Ro-vibrational molecular line list for CO${}_2$
• A hybrid line list for CH${}_4$ and hot methane continuum
• Hot Exoplanet Atmospheres Resolved with Transit Spectroscopy (HEARTS) IV. A spectral inventory of atoms and molecules in the high-resolution transmission spectrum of WASP-121 b
• A reflective, metal-rich atmosphere for GJ 1214b from its JWST phase curve
• Five key exoplanet questions answered via the analysis of 25 hot Jupiter atmospheres in eclipse
• Confirmation of water emission in the dayside spectrum of the ultrahot Jupiter WASP-121b
• A comparison of chemical models of exoplanet atmospheres enabled by TauREx 3.1
• Is the atmosphere of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-121b variable?
• Modons on Tidally Synchronised Extrasolar Planets
• Investigating the visible phase-curve variability of 55 Cnc e
• Repeated Cyclogenesis on Hot-Exoplanet Atmospheres with Deep Heating