ABSTRACT
Planets around young stars are thought to undergo atmospheric evaporation due to the high magnetic activity of the host stars. Here we report on X-ray observations of V1298 Tau, a young star ...with four transiting exoplanets. We use X-ray observations of the host star with Chandra and ROSAT to measure the current high-energy irradiation level of the planets and employ a model for the stellar activity evolution together with exoplanetary mass-loss to estimate the possible evolution of the planets. We find that V1298 Tau is X-ray bright with log LX erg s−1 = 30.1 and has a mean coronal temperature of ≈9 MK. This places the star amongst the more X-ray luminous ones at this stellar age. We estimate the radiation-driven mass-loss of the exoplanets and find that it depends sensitively on the possible evolutionary spin-down tracks of the star as well as on the current planetary densities. Assuming the planets are of low density due to their youth, we find that the innermost two planets can lose significant parts of their gaseous envelopes and could be evaporated down to their rocky cores depending on the stellar spin evolution. However, if the planets are heavier and follow the mass–radius relation of older planets, then even in the highest XUV irradiation scenario none of the planets is expected to cross the radius gap into the rocky regime until the system reaches an age of 5 Gyr.
Aims. Spectroscopic observations of a transit event of an extrasolar planet offer the opportunity to study the composition of the planetary atmosphere. This can be done with comparably little ...telescope time using a low-resolution multi-object spectrograph at a large aperture telescope. We observed a transit of the inflated hot Jupiter HAT-P-32b with the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph at the Large Binocular Telescope to characterize its atmosphere from 3300 to 10 000 Å. Methods. A time series of target and reference star spectra was binned in two broad-band wavelength channels, from which differential transit light curves were constructed. These broad-band light curves were used to confirm previous transit parameter determinations. To derive the planetary transmission spectrum with a resolution of R ~ 60, we created a chromatic set of 62 narrow-band light curves. The spectrum was corrected for the third light of a nearby M star. Additionally, we undertook a photometric monitoring campaign of the host star to correct for the influence of starspots. Results. The transmission spectrum of HAT-P-32b shows no pressure-broadened absorption features from Na and K, which is interpreted by the presence of clouds or hazes in the planetary atmosphere. This result is in agreement with previous studies on the same planet. The presence of TiO in gas phase could be ruled out. We find a 2.8σ indication of increased absorption in the line core of potassium (K I 7699 Å). No narrow absorption features of Na and Hα were detected. Furthermore, tentative indications were found for a slope of increasing opacity toward blue wavelengths from the near-IR to the near-UV with an amplitude of two scale heights. If confirmed by follow-up observations, it can be explained by aerosols either causing Mie scattering or causing Rayleigh scattering with an aerosol – gas scale height ratio below unity. The host star was found to be photometrically stable within the measurement precision.
We present an atmospheric transmission spectrum of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-76 b by analyzing archival data obtained with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on board the
Hubble
Space ...Telescope (HST). The dataset spans three transits, two with a wavelength coverage between 2900 and 5700 Å, and the third one between 5250 and 10 300 Å. From the one-dimensional, time dependent spectra we constructed white and chromatic light curves, the latter with typical integration band widths of ~200 Å. We computed the wavelength dependent planet-to-star radii ratios taking into consideration WASP-76’s companion. The resulting transmission spectrum of WASP-76 b is dominated by a spectral slope of increasing opacity towards shorter wavelengths of amplitude of about three scale heights under the assumption of planetary equilibrium temperature. If the slope is caused by Rayleigh scattering, we derive a lower limit to the temperature of ~870 K. Following-up on previous detection of atomic sodium derived from high resolution spectra, we re-analyzed HST data using narrower bands centered around sodium. From an atmospheric retrieval of this transmission spectrum, we report evidence of sodium at 2.9
σ
significance. In this case, the retrieved temperature at the top of the atmosphere (10
−5
bar) is 2300
−392
+412
K. We also find marginal evidence for titanium hydride. However, additional high resolution ground-based data are required to confirm this discovery.
Aims. Brightness inhomogeneities in the stellar photosphere (dark spots or bright regions) affect the measurements of the planetary transmission spectrum. To investigate the star spots of the M dwarf ...GJ 1214, we conducted a multicolor photometric monitoring from 2012 to 2016. Methods. The time-series photometry was analyzed with the light curve inversion tool StarSim. Using the derived stellar surface properties from the light curve inversion, we modeled the impact of the star spots when unocculted by the transiting planet. We compared the photometric variability of GJ 1214 to published results of mid- to late M dwarfs from the MEarth sample. Results. The measured variability shows a periodicity of 125 ± 5 days, which we interpret as the signature of the stellar rotation period. This value overrules previous suggestions of a significantly shorter stellar rotation period. A light curve inversion of the monitoring data yields an estimation of the flux dimming of a permanent spot filling factor not contributing to the photometric variability, a temperature contrast of the spots of ~370 K and persistent active longitudes. The derived surface maps over all five seasons were used to estimate the influence of the star spots on the transmission spectrum of the planet from 400 to 2000 nm. The monitoring data presented here do not support a recent interpretation of a measured transmission spectrum of GJ 1214b as to be caused by bright regions in the stellar photosphere. Instead, we list arguments as to why the effect of dark spots likely dominated over bright regions in the period of our monitoring. Furthermore, our photometry proves an increase in variability over at least four years, indicative for a cyclic activity behavior. The age of GJ 1214 is likely between 6 and 10 Gyr. Conclusions. The long-term photometry allows for a correction of unocculted spots. For an active star such as GJ 1214, there remains a degeneracy between occulted spots and the transit parameters used to build the transmission spectrum. This degeneracy can only be broken by high-precision transit photometry resolving the spot crossing signature in the transit light curve.
Context. Two independent investigations of the atmosphere of the hot Jupiter HAT-P-12b by two different groups resulted in discrepant solutions. Using broad-band photometry from the ground, one study ...found a flat and featureless transmission spectrum that was interpreted as gray absorption by dense cloud coverage. The second study made use of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations and found Rayleigh scattering at optical wavelengths caused by haze. Aims. The main purpose of this work is to determine the source of this inconsistency and provide feedback to prevent similar discrepancies in future analyses of other exoplanetary atmospheres. Methods. We studied the observed discrepancy via two methods. With further broad-band observations in the optical wavelength regions, we strengthened the previous measurements in precision, and with a homogeneous reanalysis of the published data, we were able to assess the systematic errors and the independent analyses of the two different groups. Results. Repeating the analysis steps of both works, we found that deviating values for the orbital parameters are the reason for the aforementioned discrepancy. Our work showed a degeneracy of the planetary spectral slope with these parameters. In a homogeneous reanalysis of all data, the two literature data sets and the new observations converge to a consistent transmission spectrum, showing a low-amplitude spectral slope and a tentative detection of potassium absorption.
We present the characterization of two engineered diffusers mounted on the 2.5-meter Nordic Optical Telescope, located at Roque de Los Muchachos, Spain. To assess the reliability and the efficiency ...of the diffusers, we carried out several test observations of two photometric standard stars, along with observations of one primary transit observation of TrES-3b in the red (R band), one of CoRoT-1b in the blue (B band), and three secondary eclipses of WASP-12b (V band). The achieved photometric precision is in all cases within the submillimagnitude level for exposures between 25 and 180 s. Along with a detailed analysis of the functionality of the diffusers, we add a new transit depth measurement in the blue (B band) to the already observed transmission spectrum of CoRoT-1b, disfavoring a Rayleigh slope. We also report variability of the eclipse depth of WASP-12b in the V band. For the WASP-12b secondary eclipses, we observe a secondary depth deviation of about 5σ, and a difference of 6σ and 2.5σ when compared to the values reported by other authors in a similar wavelength range determined from Hubble Space Telescope data. We further speculate about the potential physical processes or causes responsible for this observed variability.
The depth of a secondary eclipse contains information of both the thermally emitted light component of a hot Jupiter and the reflected light component. If the day side atmosphere of the planet is ...assumed to be isothermal, it is possible to disentangle both. In this work, we analyzed 11 eclipse light curves of the hot Jupiter HAT-P-32 b obtained at 0.89 μm in the z′ band. We obtained a null detection for the eclipse depth with state-of-the-art precision, −0.01 ± 0.10 ppt. We confirm previous studies showing that a non-inverted atmosphere model is in disagreement to the measured emission spectrum of HAT-P-32 b. We derive an upper limit on the reflected light component, and thus, on the planetary geometric albedo Ag. The 97.5% confidence upper limit is Ag < 0.2. This is the first albedo constraint for HAT-P-32 b, and the first z′ band albedo value for any exoplanet. This finding disfavors the influence of large-sized silicate condensates on the planetary day side. We inferred z′ band geometric albedo limits from published eclipse measurements also for the ultra-hot Jupiters WASP-12 b, WASP-19 b, WASP-103 b, and WASP-121 b, applying the same method. These values consistently point to a low reflectivity in the optical to near-infrared transition regime for hot to ultra-hot Jupiters.
Context.
The properties, distribution, and evolution of inhomogeneities on the surface of active stars, such as dark spots and bright faculae, significantly influence the determination of the ...parameters of an orbiting exoplanet. The chromatic effect they have on transmission spectroscopy, for example, could affect the analysis of data from future space missions such as
James Webb
Space Telescope and Ariel.
Aims.
To quantify and mitigate the effects of those surface phenomena, we developed a modelling approach to derive the surface distribution and properties of active regions by modelling simultaneous multi-wavelength time-series observables.
Methods.
We present an upgraded version of the
StarSim
code, now featuring the capability to solve the inverse problem and derive the properties of the stars and their active regions by modelling time-series data. As a test case, we analyse ~600 days of
BV RI
multiband photometry from the 0.8-m
Joan Oró
(TJO) and 1.2-m STELLA telescopes of the K2 V exoplanet host star WASP-52. From the results, we further simulated the chromatic contribution of surface phenomena on the observables of its transiting planet.
Results.
Using
StarSim
we are able to determine the relevant activity parameters of WASP-52 and reconstruct the time-evolving longitudinal map of active regions. The star shows a heterogeneous surface composed of dark spots with a mean temperature of 575 ± 150 K lower than the photospheric value, with filling factors ranging from 3 to 14%. We used the results to study the chromatic effects on the depths of exoplanet transits obtained at different epochs and corresponding to different stellar spot distributions. In the case of WASP-52, which has peak-to-peak photometric variations of ~7% in the visible, the residual effects of dark spots on the measured transit depth of its giant planet, after applying the calculated corrections, are about 10
−4
at 550 nm and 3 × 10
−5
at 6
μ
m.
Conclusions.
We demonstrate that by using contemporaneous ground-based multiband photometry of an active star, it is possible to reconstruct the parameters and distribution of active regions over time, thus making it feasible to quantify the chromatic effects on the planetary radii measured with transit spectroscopy and mitigate them by about an order of magnitude.
Meter-sized ground-based telescopes are frequently used today for the follow-up of extrasolar planet candidates. While the transit signal of a Jupiter-sized object can typically be detected to a high ...level of confidence with small telescope apertures as well, the shallow transit dips of planets with the size of Neptune and smaller are more challenging to reveal. We employ new observational data to illustrate the photometric follow-up capabilities of meter-sized telescopes for shallow exoplanet transits. We describe in detail the capability of distinguishing the photometric signal of an exoplanet transit from an underlying trend in the light curve. The transit depths of the six targets we observed, Kepler-94b, Kepler-63b, K2-100b, K2-138b, K2-138c, and K2-138e, range from 3.9 ppt down to 0.3 ppt. For five targets of this sample, we provide the first ground-based photometric follow-up. The timing of three targets is precisely known from previous observations, and the timing of the other three targets is uncertain and we aim to constrain it. We detect or rule out the transit features significantly in single observations for the targets that show transits of 1.3 ppt or deeper. The shallower transit depths of two targets of 0.6 and 0.8 ppt were detected tentatively in single light curves, and were detected significantly by repeated observations. Only for the target of the shallowest transit depth of 0.3 ppt were we unable to draw a significant conclusion despite combining five individual light curves. An injection-recovery test on our real data shows that we detect transits of 1.3 ppt depth significantly in single light curves if the transit is fully covered, including out-of-transit data toward both sides, in some cases down to 0.7 ppt depth. For Kepler-94b, Kepler-63b, and K2-100b, we were able to verify the ephemeris. In the case of K2-138c with a 0.6 ppt deep transit, we were able to refine it, and in the case of K2-138e, we ruled out the transit in the time interval of more than ±1.5
σ
of its current literature ephemeris.
Mostly multiband photometric transit observations have been used so far to retrieve broadband transmission spectra of transiting exoplanets in order to study their atmosphere. An alternative method ...has been proposed and has only been used once to recover transmission spectra using chromatic Rossiter-McLaughlin observations. Stellar activity has been shown to potentially imitate narrow and broadband features in the transmission spectra retrieved from multiband photometric observations; however, there has been no study regarding the influence of stellar activity on the retrieved transmission spectra through chromatic Rossiter-McLaughlin. In this study with the modified
SOAP3.0
tool, we consider different types of stellar activity features (spots and plages), and we generated a large number of realistic chromatic Rossiter-McLaughlin curves for different types of planets and stars. We were then able to retrieve their transmission spectra to evaluate the impact of stellar activity on them. We find that chromatic Rossiter-McLaughlin observations are also not immune to stellar activity, which can mimic broadband features, such as Rayleigh scattering slope, in their retrieved transmission spectra. We also find that the influence is independent of the planet radius, orbital orientations, orbital period, and stellar rotation rate. However, more general simulations demonstrate that the probability of mimicking strong broadband features is lower than 25% and that can be mitigated by combining several Rossiter-McLaughlin observations obtained during several transits.
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