Related papers: On constraining a transiting exoplanet's rotation …
Although transit spectroscopy is a powerful method for studying the composition, thermal properties and dynamics of exoplanet atmospheres, only a few transiting terrestrial exoplanets will be close enough to allow significant transit…
We characterise the planet-occulted line distortions (POLDs) in absorption spectra of transiting planets, that arise from proxies used for the occulted stellar lines and investigate the impact of stellar rotation, centre-to-limb variations,…
We re-visit the principles of transmission spectroscopy for transiting extrasolar planets, focusing on the overlap between the planetary spectrum and the illuminating stellar spectrum. Virtually all current models of exoplanetary…
Of the approximately 350 extrasolar planets currently known, of order 10% orbit evolved stars with radii R >~ 2.5 R_sun. These planets are of particular interest because they tend to orbit more massive hosts, and have been subjected to…
We present new spectroscopic and photometric observations of the HAT-P-1 planetary system. Spectra obtained during three transits exhibit the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, allowing us to measure the angle between the sky projections of the…
We use multi-band photometry to refine estimates for the planetary radius and orbital inclination of the transiting planet system HD 209458. We gathered 1066 spectra over four distinct transits with the STIS spectrometer on the Hubble Space…
We present Spitzer 8 micron transit observations of the extrasolar planet HD 149026b. At this wavelength, transit light curves are weakly affected by stellar limb-darkening, allowing for a simpler and more accurate determination of…
We propose that the presence of additional planets in extrasolar planetary systems can be detected by long-term transit timing studies. If a transiting planet is on an eccentric orbit then the presence of another planet causes a secular…
The study of exoplanetary atmospheres is key to understand the differences between their physical, chemical and dynamical processes. Up to now, the bulk of atmospheric characterization analysis has been conducted on transiting planets. On…
Determination of an exoplanet's mass is a key to understanding its basic properties, including its potential for supporting life. To date, mass constraints for exoplanets are predominantly based on radial velocity (RV) measurements, which…
Since the discovery of the first exoplanets more than 20 years ago, there has been an increasing need for photometric and spectroscopic models to characterize these systems. While imaging has been used extensively for Solar System bodies…
We calculate the meteorology of the close-in transiting extrasolar planet HD 209458b using a global, three-dimensional atmospheric circulation model. Dynamics are driven by perpetual irradiation of one hemisphere of this tidally locked…
Lyman $\alpha$ observations during an exoplanet transit have proved to be very useful to study the interaction between the stellar wind and the planetary atmosphere. They have been extensively used to constrain planetary system parameters…
It has been posited that lunar eclipse observations may help predict the in-transit signature of Earth-like extrasolar planets. However, a comparative analysis of the two phenomena addressing in detail the transport of stellar light through…
We present recent observations from the HST-Cosmic Origins Spectrograph aimed at characterizing the auroral emission from the extrasolar planet HD209458b. We obtained medium-resolution (R~18-20,000) far-ultraviolet (1150-1700A) spectra at…
We present an improved formula for the anomalous radial velocity of the star during planetary transits due to the Rossiter-McLaughlin (RM) effect. The improvement comes from a more realistic description of the stellar absorption line…
Future high precision photometric measurements of transiting extrasolar planets promise to tell us much about the nature of these systems. We examine how atmospheric lensing and (projected) planet oblateness/ellipticity modify transit light…
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 stellar rotation periods of ten exoplanet host stars have been determined using newly analysed Ca II H & K flux records from Mount Wilson Observatory and Stromgren b, y photometric measurements from Tennessee State University's…
The idea of finding extrasolar planets (ESPs) through observations of drops in stellar brightness due to transiting objects has been around for decades. It has only been in the last ten years, however, that any serious attempts to find ESPs…