Understanding the Atmospheres of Extrasolar Planets

Details Understanding the Atmospheres of Extrasolar Planets Understanding the Atmospheres of Extrasolar Planets

Oct 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007dps....39.1203m&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #12.03; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.431

Physics

Scientific paper

With the direct measurement of thermal emission (and perhaps soon reflected light) from the 'hot Jupiters', extrasolar planetary science is transitioning from discovery to characterization. Familiar attributes of solar system giant planet atmospheres, including hot stratospheres, clouds, redistribution of heat by winds, and perhaps even non-equilibrium molecular abundances and photochemical products have been recognized and modeled in some of these exotic atmospheres. Despite the fact that atmospheric dynamics undoubtedly plays a major role in controlling the thermal structures of these planets, one-dimensional radiative-convective equilibrium models are still exceptionally useful for understanding the baseline atmospheric physics and resultant thermal structure. Our group's apparently successful prediction of a hot stratosphere on planet HD 149026b is emblematic of the utility of 1D models. In the talk we will review our efforts to model the vertical structure of several of the hot Jupiters, focusing on the processes that play major roles in influencing the atmospheric chemical and temperature profiles. We will highlight processes (e.g., photochemistry acting on S-, P-, N-, and O- as well as C-bearing molecules) that are ripe for further modeling. Given that measurements of thermal emission in various Spitzer mid-infrared bands will soon be published for 10 planets, unprecedented opportunities for comparative exoplanetary science are now at hand.

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