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  • Sheppard, Kyle B; Welbanks, Luis; Mandell, Avi; Nikku Madhusudhan; Nikolov, Nikolay; Drake Deming; Henry, Gregory W; Williamson, Michael H; Sing, David K; López-Morales, Mercedes; Ih, Jegug; Sanz-Forcada, Jorge; Lavvas, Panayotis; Ballester, Gilda E; Evans, Thomas M; Antonio García Muñoz; Dos Santos, Leonardo A

    arXiv.org, 10/2020
    Paper, Journal Article

    We present a comprehensive analysis of the 0.3--5\,\(\mu\)m transit spectrum for the inflated hot Jupiter HAT-P-41b. The planet was observed in transit with Hubble STIS and WFC3 as part of the Hubble Panchromatic Comparative Exoplanet Treasury (PanCET) program, and we combine those data with warm \textit{Spitzer} transit observations. We extract transit depths from each of the data sets, presenting the STIS transit spectrum (0.29--0.93\,\(\mu\)m) for the first time. We retrieve the transit spectrum both with a free-chemistry retrieval suite (AURA) and a complementary chemical equilibrium retrieval suite (PLATON) to constrain the atmospheric properties at the day-night terminator. Both methods provide an excellent fit to the observed spectrum. Both AURA and PLATON retrieve a metal-rich atmosphere for almost all model assumptions (most likely O/H ratio of \(\log_{10}{Z/Z_{\odot}} = 1.46^{+0.53}_{-0.68}\) and \(\log_{10}{Z/Z_{\odot}} = 2.33^{+0.23}_{-0.25}\), respectively); this is driven by a 4.9-\(\sigma\) detection of H\(_2\)O as well as evidence of gas absorption in the optical (\(>\)2.7-\(\sigma\) detection) due to Na, AlO and/or VO/TiO, though no individual species is strongly detected. Both retrievals determine the transit spectrum to be consistent with a clear atmosphere, with no evidence of haze or high-altitude clouds. Interior modeling constraints on the maximum atmospheric metallicity (\(\log_{10}{Z/Z_{\odot}} < 1.7\)) favor the AURA results. The inferred elemental oxygen abundance suggests that HAT-P-41b has one of the most metal-rich atmospheres of any hot Jupiters known to date. Overall, the inferred high metallicity and high inflation make HAT-P-41b an interesting test case for planet formation theories.