The Complete Transmission Spectrum of WASP-39b with a Precise Water Constraint

H. R. Wakeford; D. K. Sing; D. Deming; N. K. Lewis; J. Goyal; T. J. Wilson; J. Barstow; T. Kataria; B. Drummond; T. M. Evans; A. L. Carter; N. Nikolov; H. A. Knutson; G. E. Ballester; A. M. Mandell

doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aa9e4e

The Complete Transmission Spectrum of WASP-39b with a Precise Water Constraint

H. R. Wakeford, D. K. Sing, D. Deming, N. K. Lewis, J. Goyal, T. J. Wilson, J. Barstow, T. Kataria, B. Drummond, T. M. Evans, A. L. Carter, N. Nikolov, H. A. Knutson, G. E. Ballester, A. M. Mandell

Lunar and Planetary Lab

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

123 Scopus citations

Abstract

WASP-39b is a hot Saturn-mass exoplanet with a predicted clear atmosphere based on observations in the optical and infrared. Here, we complete the transmission spectrum of the atmosphere with observations in the near-infrared (NIR) over three water absorption features with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) G102 (0.8-1.1 μm) and G141 (1.1-1.7 μm) spectroscopic grisms. We measure the predicted high-amplitude H₂O feature centered at 1.4 μm and the smaller amplitude features at 0.95 and 1.2 μm, with a maximum water absorption amplitude of 2.4 planetary scale heights. We incorporate these new NIR measurements into previously published observational measurements to complete the transmission spectrum from 0.3 to 5 μm. From these observed water features, combined with features in the optical and IR, we retrieve a well constrained temperature T _eq =1030⁺³⁰_-20 K, and atmospheric metallicity 151⁺⁴⁸_-46solar, which is relatively high with respect to the currently established mass-metallicity trends. This new measurement in the Saturn-mass range hints at further diversity in the planet formation process relative to our solar system giants.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	29
Journal	Astronomical Journal
Volume	155
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aa9e4e
State	Published - Jan 2018

Keywords

Planets and satellites: atmospheres
planets and satellites: individual (WASP-39b)
techniques: spectroscopic

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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Wakeford, H. R., Sing, D. K., Deming, D., Lewis, N. K., Goyal, J., Wilson, T. J., Barstow, J., Kataria, T., Drummond, B., Evans, T. M., Carter, A. L., Nikolov, N., Knutson, H. A., Ballester, G. E., & Mandell, A. M. (2018). The Complete Transmission Spectrum of WASP-39b with a Precise Water Constraint. Astronomical Journal, 155(1), Article 29. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aa9e4e

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abstract = "WASP-39b is a hot Saturn-mass exoplanet with a predicted clear atmosphere based on observations in the optical and infrared. Here, we complete the transmission spectrum of the atmosphere with observations in the near-infrared (NIR) over three water absorption features with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) G102 (0.8-1.1 μm) and G141 (1.1-1.7 μm) spectroscopic grisms. We measure the predicted high-amplitude H2O feature centered at 1.4 μm and the smaller amplitude features at 0.95 and 1.2 μm, with a maximum water absorption amplitude of 2.4 planetary scale heights. We incorporate these new NIR measurements into previously published observational measurements to complete the transmission spectrum from 0.3 to 5 μm. From these observed water features, combined with features in the optical and IR, we retrieve a well constrained temperature T eq =1030+30-20 K, and atmospheric metallicity 151+48-46solar, which is relatively high with respect to the currently established mass-metallicity trends. This new measurement in the Saturn-mass range hints at further diversity in the planet formation process relative to our solar system giants.",

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AU - Wakeford, H. R.

AU - Sing, D. K.

AU - Deming, D.

AU - Lewis, N. K.

AU - Goyal, J.

AU - Wilson, T. J.

AU - Barstow, J.

AU - Kataria, T.

AU - Drummond, B.

AU - Evans, T. M.

AU - Carter, A. L.

AU - Nikolov, N.

AU - Knutson, H. A.

AU - Ballester, G. E.

AU - Mandell, A. M.

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AB - WASP-39b is a hot Saturn-mass exoplanet with a predicted clear atmosphere based on observations in the optical and infrared. Here, we complete the transmission spectrum of the atmosphere with observations in the near-infrared (NIR) over three water absorption features with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) G102 (0.8-1.1 μm) and G141 (1.1-1.7 μm) spectroscopic grisms. We measure the predicted high-amplitude H2O feature centered at 1.4 μm and the smaller amplitude features at 0.95 and 1.2 μm, with a maximum water absorption amplitude of 2.4 planetary scale heights. We incorporate these new NIR measurements into previously published observational measurements to complete the transmission spectrum from 0.3 to 5 μm. From these observed water features, combined with features in the optical and IR, we retrieve a well constrained temperature T eq =1030+30-20 K, and atmospheric metallicity 151+48-46solar, which is relatively high with respect to the currently established mass-metallicity trends. This new measurement in the Saturn-mass range hints at further diversity in the planet formation process relative to our solar system giants.

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KW - techniques: spectroscopic

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The Complete Transmission Spectrum of WASP-39b with a Precise Water Constraint

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