The atmosphere of a new ultra hot Jupiter is analysed

MASCARA-2B/KELT-20b
Ultra hot Jupiter - Artist's impression. Credit: Gabriel Pérez Díaz, SMM (IAC).
Advertised on
Authors

MASCARA-2B/KELT-20b is an ultra hot Jupiter. It belongs to a new group of exoplanets, the hottest known until now, which can reach temperatures at the surface of over 2,000 K. The reason for its high temperature is the proximity of its orbit around its host star, causing it to receive a large flux of radiation in the upper layers of its atmosphere.

The team, led by IAC/ULL researcher Núria Casasayas, which had already made initial measurements of the atmosphere during 2018, observed the planet during four transits. This means during four of the times when the planet passed in front of the disc of its star, along our line of sight. For this they used the HARP-N spectrograph on the National Galileo Telescope (TNG) at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (Garafía, La Palma) and the CARMENES spectrograph on the 3.5 m telescope of the Calar Alto Observatory (Almería).

“The two instruments sample slightly different wavelength regions, which allows us to sample a wider spectral range”, explains Casasayas. And she adds: “We have been able to detect hydrogen beta, singly ionized iron and magnesium with data from HARPS-N while the presence of ionized calcium was detected only by using CARMENES. Neutral sodium and hydrogen alpha are detected with both instruments”.

The study of exoplanetary atmospheres has become front line research in recent years. Instruments which perform high resolution spectroscopy allow us not only to discover the atmospheric composition of planets outside the Solar System, but also to measure other important parameters such as the temperatures of the layers where their constituents are found, and other parameters of the dynamics of the atmosphere. 

Video (YouTube link): https://youtu.be/TduJOvZ3TTk Credit: Gabriel Pérez Díaz, SMM (IAC)

N. Casasayas-Barris, E. Palle, F. Yan, G. Chen, S. Kohl, M. Stangret, H. Parviainen, Ch. Helling, N. Watanabe, S. Czesla, A. Fukui, P. Montañes-Rodriguez, E. Nagel, N. Narita, L. Nortmann, G. Nowak, J.H.M.M. Schmit, M.R. Zapatero Osorio. Atmospheric characterization of the ultra-hot Jupiter MASCARA-2b/KELT-20b. Astronomy&Astrophysicsmanuscript May 30, 2019.

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1905.12491

More information: Atmospheric characterisation of the ultra hot Jupiter MASCARA-2b/KELT-20b combining HARPS-N and CARMENES observations

Related projects
Diseño 3D del instrumento en su ubicación
HARPS3 (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher)
HARPS3 (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher) is a new version of the succesful HARPS instrument. HARPS3 is an Echelle spectrograph with high resolution (R ~ 115000) and a wavelength range of 380-690 nm. It will be installed in the Isaac Newton Telescope (upgraded and robotized) at the ORM.
Jonay Isai
González Hernández
In progress
News type
Press release
Scope
Science and Technology
Astrophysics
General public
Telescope operators
Institutions/firms
Communications media
Exoplanetary Systems & Solar System (SEYSS)
Visible instrumentation
Telescopes

It may interest you

  • Jornada de puertas abiertas en el Observatorio del Teide
    Press release
    Cientos de personas acuden a las jornadas de puertas abiertas del Observatorio del Teide
    Cientos de personas se han acercado este fin de semana al Observatorio del Teide para participar en las tradicionales jornadas de puertas abiertas que organiza el Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias coincidiendo con la semana del solsticio de verano. Esta actividad, organizada de forma conjunta por el Observatorio del Teide y por la Unidad de Comunicación y Cultura Científica (UC3) del IAC, forma parte de las tareas de divulgación que realiza el Instituto para que la ciudadanía pueda conocer de primera mano uno de los mejores observatorios del mundo, sus infraestructuras, el trabajo de su
    Advertised on
  • The Mercator telescope and the new domes of the Marvel instrument / IAC
    Press release
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias and the KU Leuven reneu their framework of cooperation
    The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and the KU Leuven , Belgium, have amplified their framework of collaboration in astrophysical research. The two institutions have signed an agreement which gives continuity to the operations of the Mercator Telescope at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM), which started in 2002, and whose work will be strengthened by the installation of a new instrument called MARVEL (Mercator Array for Radial Velocities). Mercator is a semi-robotic telescope with a 1.2 metre primary mirror. Its name comes from that of the famous Flemish cartographer
    Advertised on
  • The President of the Cabildo of La Palma, Sergio Rodríguez inaugurated this morning the International Conference LSST@Europe 6
    Press release
    The President of the Cabildo of La Palma inaugurates the International Conference LSST@Europa 6
    The President of the Cabildo of La Palma, Sergio Rodríguez inaugurated this morning the International Conference LSST@Europe 6 which has brought together over 140 people from over twenty countries in the field of astrophysical research. In the oficial inauguration there was also participation by the Director of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Valentín Martínez Pillet, the director of the LSST constructive project Zeljko Ivezic and the president of the international organizing committee Mireia Montes Quiles. Sergio Rodríguez noted the importance of this type of scientific
    Advertised on