Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2006-01-04
Astrophys.J.649:1020-1027,2006
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
AASTeX 5.2, 24 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ; v2: clarifications, updated to version accepted by ApJ; v3:
Scientific paper
10.1086/506468
We present a method that employs the secondary eclipse light curves of transiting extrasolar planets to probe the spatial variation of their thermal emission. This technique permits an observer to resolve the surface of the planet without the need to spatially resolve its central star. We evaluate the feasibility of this technique for the HD 209458 system [..]. We consider two representations of the planetary thermal emission; a simple model parameterized by a sinusoidal dependence on longitude and latitude, as well as the results of a three-dimensional dynamical simulation of the planetary atmosphere previously published by Cooper & Showman. We find that observations of the secondary eclipse light curve are most sensitive to a longitudinal offset in the geometric and photometric centroids of the hemisphere of the planet visible near opposition. To quantify this signal, we define a new parameter, the ``uniform time offset,'' which measures the time lag between the observed secondary eclipse and that predicted by a planet with a uniform surface flux distribution. We compare the predicted amplitude of this parameter for HD 209458 with the precision with which it could be measured with IRAC. We find that IRAC observations at 3.6um a single secondary eclipse should permit sufficient precision to confirm or reject the Cooper & Showman model of the surface flux distribution for this planet. We quantify the signal-to-noise ratio for this offset in the remaining IRAC bands (4.5um, 5.8um, and 8.0um), and find that a modest improvement in photometric precision (as might be realized through observations of several eclipse events) should permit a similarly robust detection.
Charbonneau David
Cooper Curtis S.
Fortney Jonathan J.
Showman Adam P.
Williams Peter K. G.
No associations
LandOfFree
Resolving the Surfaces of Extrasolar Planets With Secondary Eclipse Light Curves 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 Resolving the Surfaces of Extrasolar Planets With Secondary Eclipse Light Curves, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Resolving the Surfaces of Extrasolar Planets With Secondary Eclipse Light Curves will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-590652