Model Visible and Near-infrared Spectra of Extrasolar Giant Planets

Details Model Visible and Near-infrared Spectra of Extrasolar Giant Planets Model Visible and Near-infrared Spectra of Extrasolar Giant Planets

Dec 1997

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1997aas...191.2701m&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, 191st AAS Meeting, #27.01; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 29, p.1254

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The reflected spectra of extrasolar giant planets are remarkably sensitive to the presence or absence of clouds. There will not be abundant condensates in atmospheres with effective temperatures between about 400 and 1600 K. Since red photons must penetrate more deeply into the atmosphere before Rayleigh scattering than blue photons, such photons are far more likely to be absorbed before scattering in a cloud-free atmosphere. Thus planets in this effective temperature range will be substantially darker in reflected light beyond about 0.6microns than cooler or warmer planets with clouds (which are far more grey). In the near-infrared the difference in reflected flux can be several orders of magnitude. These results have relevance to proposed direct detection methods and the computation of planetary albedos. A complicating effect is the substantial super-Planckian emission in the near-infrared Z, J, H, and K bands of extrasolar giant planets. This emission, from deeper, hotter layers of the atmosphere, arises (as does Jupiter's 5microns emission) from the lack of substantial CH_4, H_2O, NH_3, or H_2 - H_2 opacity in portions of those bands. Depending on the individual object, thermal emission in these bands will begin to dominate reflected light at effective temperatures as low as 400 to 500 K. Thus the near-infrared spectra of objects such as 70 Vir b or HD 114762 b which lie in this temperature range will be a complex mixture of reflected starlight and thermal emission. We will present model spectra for a selection of extrasolar giant planets with and without water and silicate clouds. Effects of variation in cloud particle size, composition, and optical depth will be discussed.

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