Hot Jupiter Variability in Eclipse Depth

Abstract

Physical conditions in the atmospheres of tidally-locked, slowly-rotating hot Jupiters correspond to dynamical circulation regimes with Rhines scales and Rossby deformation radii comparable to the planetary radii. Consequently, the large spatial scales of moving atmospheric structures could generate significant photospheric variability. Here, we estimate the level of thermal infrared variability expected in successive secondary eclipse depths, according to hot Jupiter turbulent ``shallow-layer'' models. The variability, at the few percent level or more in models with strong enough winds, is within the reach of Spitzer measurements. Eclipse depth variability is thus a valuable tool to constrain the circulation regime and global wind speeds in hot Jupiter atmospheres.

13 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

References in corpus (4)

• Detection of Thermal Emission from an Extrasolar Planet
• The phase-dependent Infrared brightness of the extrasolar planet upsilon Andromedae b
• Strong Infrared Emission from the Extrasolar Planet HD189733b
• Theory for the Secondary Eclipse Fluxes, Spectra, Atmospheres, and Light Curves of Transiting Extrasolar Giant Planets

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• On the Absorption and Redistribution of Energy in Irradiated Planets
• Analysis of Spitzer Spectra of Irradiated Planets: Evidence for Water Vapor?
• On Signatures of Atmospheric Features in Thermal Phase Curves of Hot Jupiters
• Transits and secondary eclipses of HD 189733 with Spitzer
• Emergent Exoplanet Flux: Review of the Spitzer Results