Jupiter as an Exoplanet: UV to NIR Transmission Spectrum Reveals Hazes, a Na Layer, and Possibly Stratospheric H2O-ice Clouds

Montañés-Rodríguez, P.; González-Merino, B.; Pallé, E.; López-Puertas, Manuel; García-Melendo, E.
Referencia bibliográfica

The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 801, Issue 1, article id. L8, 5 pp. (2015).

Fecha de publicación:
3
2015
Número de autores
5
Número de autores del IAC
3
Número de citas
11
Número de citas referidas
9
Descripción
Currently, the analysis of transmission spectra is the most successful technique to probe the chemical composition of exoplanet atmospheres. However, the accuracy of these measurements is constrained by observational limitations and the diversity of possible atmospheric compositions. Here, we show the UV–VIS–IR transmission spectrum of Jupiter as if it were a transiting exoplanet, obtained by observing one of its satellites, Ganymede, while passing through Jupiter’s shadow, i.e., during a solar eclipse from Ganymede. The spectrum shows strong extinction due to the presence of clouds (aerosols) and haze in the atmosphere and strong absorption features from CH4. More interestingly, the comparison with radiative transfer models reveals a spectral signature, which we attribute here to a Jupiter stratospheric layer of crystalline H2O ice. The atomic transitions of Na are also present. These results are relevant for the modeling and interpretation of giant transiting exoplanets. They also open a new technique to explore the atmospheric composition of the upper layers of Jupiter’s atmosphere.
Proyectos relacionados
Image withthe projects' name
Exoplanetas y Astrobiología
La búsqueda de vida en el Universo se ha visto impulsada por los recientes descubrimientos de planetas alrededor de otras estrellas (los llamados exoplanetas), convirtiéndose en uno de los campos más activos dentro de la Astrofísica moderna. En los últimos años los descubrimientos cada vez más numerosos de nuevos exoplanetas y los últimos avances
Enric
Pallé Bago