Rapid heating of the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet

Details Rapid heating of the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet Rapid heating of the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet

Jan 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009natur.457..562l&link_type=abstract

Nature, Volume 457, Issue 7229, pp. 562-564 (2009).

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

49

Scientific paper

Near-infrared observations of more than a dozen `hot-Jupiter' extrasolar planets have now been reported. These planets display a wide diversity of properties, yet all are believed to have had their spin periods tidally spin-synchronized with their orbital periods, resulting in permanent star-facing hemispheres and surface flow patterns that are most likely in equilibrium. Planets in significantly eccentric orbits can enable direct measurements of global heating that are largely independent of the details of the hydrodynamic flow. Here we report 8-μm photometric observations of the planet HD80606b during a 30-hour interval bracketing the periastron passage of its extremely eccentric 111.4-day orbit. As the planet received its strongest irradiation (828 times larger than the flux received at apastron) its maximum 8-μm brightness temperature increased from ~800K to ~1,500K over a six-hour period. We also detected a secondary eclipse for the planet, which implies an orbital inclination of i~90°, fixes the planetary mass at four times the mass of Jupiter, and constrains the planet's tidal luminosity. Our measurement of the global heating rate indicates that the radiative time constant at the planet's 8-μm photosphere is ~4.5 h, in comparison with 3-5 days in Earth's stratosphere.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Rapid heating of the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Rapid heating of the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Rapid heating of the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1151417