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Observations of Exo-Planet Atmospheres

With Dr. Drake Deming and Dr. Michael Mumma, I am now extending our NIR data reduction techniques to search for and characterize molecular emission from the atmospheres of known extra-solar "Hot Jupiter" planets, using ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy with NIRSPEC on the Keck Telescope. To date, emission has been detected from a number of extra-solar planets using the Spitzer space telescope, but recent searches with ground-based telescopes for exo-planet signatures in the near infrared have not succeeded. However, at 3.6 μm, Spitzer has detected several transiting planets with planet-to-star flux ratios of ~0.002, an accuracy achievable from ground-based observations using our current reduction algorithms with improvements to further reduce model uncertainties and detector noise (see figure below).

We will focuse our search on two potential spectroscopic signatures of exo-planet atmospheres: absorption of lower-atmosphere radiation by H₂O and CH₄, as well as fluorescence-excited emission lines of H₂O, CH₄ and other trace gases from the upper atmosphere. Searches will be made both in transit (absorption spectra) and out of transit (emission spectra). A successful detection will: 1. Confirm or reject current models of irradiated planet atmospheres, 2. Provide the impetus for a large-scale observing campaign, and 3. Establish a new tool for characterizing exoplanet atmospheres.

Figures and publications coming soon!