Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009aas...21347520s&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #213, #475.20; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.439
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
A 0.75-m, balloon-borne telescope operating in the stratosphere offers substantially enhanced detection of molecules in exoplanetary atmospheres. This is significant because molecules are powerful tracers of physical and chemical processes in these atmospheres. For instance, using the Hubble Space Telescope, our team has detected water, methane, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide in the atmosphere of a transiting hot-Jupiter exoplanet. Furthermore, we demonstrated that spectrally resolved observations of the primary and secondary eclipse provide information regarding the chemical compositions of distinct regions (terminator and dayside) of the atmosphere. Taking advantage of the stratosphere's drastically improved (compared to ground) seeing and infrared transparency, a balloon-borne telescope/infrared spectrometer optimized for instrument stability can substantially enhance wavelength coverage, spectral resolution, and temporal sampling. Moreover, it will fill in a critical gap between the spectral coverage of Spitzer and Hubble telescopes; the mid-infrared spectral regime probes fundamental vibrational transitions of molecules, and it is uniquely rich in molecular signatures. We show that such an instrument can be implemented with existing technology at modest cost to enable exciting "great observatory" class science.
Chen Pisin
Swain Mark Raboin
Vasisht Gautam
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