A precise metallicity and carbon-to-oxygen ratio for a warm giant exoplanet from its panchromatic JWST emission spectrum

Lindsey S. Wiser, Taylor J. Bell, Michael R. Line, Everett Schlawin, Thomas G. Beatty, Luis Welbanks, Thomas P. Greene, Vivien Parmentier, Matthew M. Murphy, Jonathan J. Fortney, Kenny Arnold, Nishil Mehta, Kazumasa Ohno, Sagnick Mukherjee

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

WASP-80 b, a warm sub-Jovian (equilibrium temperature ∼820 K, 0.5 Jupiter masses), presents an opportunity to characterize a rare gas giant exoplanet around a low-mass star. In addition, its moderate temperature enables its atmosphere to host a range of carbon and oxygen species (H2O, CH4, CO, CO2, NH3). In this paper, we present a panchromatic emission spectrum of WASP-80 b, the first gas giant around a late K/early M-dwarf star and the coolest planet for which the James Webb Space Telescope has obtained a complete emission spectrum spanning 2.4 to 12 μm, including NIRCam F322W2 (2.4 to 4 μm) and F444W (4 to 5 μm), and MIRI LRS (5 to 12 μm). We report confident detections of H2O, CH4, CO, and CO2, and a tentative detection of NH3. We estimate WASP-80 b’s atmospheric metallicity and carbon-to-oxygen ratio and compare them with estimates for other gas giants. Despite the relative rarity of giant planets around low-mass stars, we find that WASP-80 b’s composition is consistent with other hot gas giants, suggesting that the formation pathway of WASP-80 b may not be dissimilar from hot gas giants around higher-mass stars.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere2416193122
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume122
Issue number39
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 30 2025

Keywords

  • JWST
  • WASP-80 b
  • atmospheres
  • exoplanets
  • planet formation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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