A Search for Water on a Neptune-Mass Transiting Planet

Details A Search for Water on a Neptune-Mass Transiting Planet A Search for Water on a Neptune-Mass Transiting Planet

Mar 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008sptz.prop50051k&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #50051

Computer Science

Scientific paper

GJ 436b is the only known Neptune-mass transiting exoplanet. Like Neptune, more than 80% of the mass is ice and rock, surrounded by a thin H/He envelope of only 1-3 earth masses. The similarities end there, however, as GJ 436b orbits a mere 0.03 A.U. from its M dwarf primary and has a toasty 700 K atmosphere. We propose to search for the signature of water absorption in this unusual planet's atmosphere by measuring the wavelength dependence of the transit depth in three IRAC bandpasses. From these observations we can constrain the abundance of water, and detect or exclude the presence of clouds and atmospheric hazes. Using the technique of transit timing, these observations will also allow us to search for additional planetary companions with masses as small as that of Mars. A second planet would provide a natural explanation for GJ 436b's ability to maintain a significant orbital eccentricity, despite the fact that the circularization time scale for this system is significantly shorter than its current age.

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