Related papers: Tau Boo b: Hunting for reflected starlight
Reflected light curves observed for exoplanets indicate bright clouds at some of them. We estimate how the light curve and total stellar heating of a planet depend on forward and backward scattering in the clouds based on Pioneer and…
Tau Boo is an intriguing planet-host star that is believed to undergo magnetic cycles similar to the Sun, but with a duration that is about one order of magnitude smaller than that of the solar cycle. With the use of observationally derived…
LTT-9779 b is an inhabitant of the hot Neptune desert and one of only a few planets with a measured high albedo. Characterising the atmosphere of this world is the key to understanding what processes dominate in creating the hot Neptune…
We analyzed the combined near-infrared spectrum of a star-planet system with thermal emission atmospheric models, based on the composition and physical parameters of the system. The main objective of this work is to obtain the inclination…
The measurement of the light scattered from extrasolar planets informs atmospheric and formation models. With the discovery of many hot Jupiter planets orbiting nearby stars, this motivates the development of robust methods of…
Hot Jupiters have been proposed as a likely population of low frequency radio sources due to electron cyclotron maser emission of similar nature to that detected from the auroral regions of magnetized solar system planets. Such emission…
The helium absorption line at 10830 {\AA}, originating from the metastable triplet state 2$^3$S, has been suggested as an excellent probe for the extended atmospheres of hot Jupiters and their hydrodynamic escape processes, and has recently…
A planet's albedo is a fundamental property that sets its energy budget by dictating the fraction of incident radiation absorbed versus reflected back to space. Generally, optical eclipse observations have revealed the majority of hot,…
We present very sensitive polarimetry of 55 Cnc and tau Boo in an attempt to detect the partially polarised reflected light from the planets orbiting these two stars. 55 Cnc is orbited by a hot Neptune planet (55 Cnc e) at 0.038 AU, a hot…
Thermal inversions have long been predicted to exist in the atmospheres of ultra-hot Jupiters. However, detection of two species thought to be responsible -- TiO and VO -- remain elusive. We present a search for TiO and VO in the atmosphere…
Photometric observations of occultations of transiting exoplanets can place important constraints on the thermal emission and albedos of their atmospheres. We analyse photometric measurements and derive geometric albedo ($A_\mathrm{g}$)…
With a temperature akin to an M-dwarf, WASP-33b is among the hottest Jupiters known, making it an ideal target for high-resolution optical spectroscopy. By analyzing both transmission and emission spectra, we aim to substantiate previous…
Despite recent progress in the spectroscopic characterization of individual exoplanets, the atmospheres of key ultra-hot Jupiters (UHJs) still lack comprehensive investigations. These include WASP-178b, one of the most irradiated UHJs known…
The reflected light signal from a planet throughout its orbit is a powerful probe of a planet's atmospheric properties. There are a number of planets that are amenable to reflected light phase curve studies with present and future…
Fast-rotating hot stars are challenging targets for exoplanet searches due to rotational broadening and stellar variability. Moreover, hot stars often exhibit pulsations, an additional source of scatter in both photometric and spectroscopic…
The extreme contrast ratios between stars and their planets at optical wavelengths make it challenging to isolate the light reflected by exoplanet atmospheres. Yet, these reflective properties reveal key processes occurring in the…
The giant planet orbiting tau Bootis was among the first extrasolar planets to be discovered through the reflex motion of its host star. It is one of the brightest known and most nearby planets with an orbital period of just a few days.…
The characterization of exoplanet atmospheres is one of the key topics in modern astrophysics. To date, transmission spectroscopy has been the primary method used, but upcoming instruments will lay the foundation for advancing…
The present-day envelope of gaseous planets is a relic of how these giant planets originated and evolved. Measuring their elemental composition therefore presents a powerful opportunity to answer long-standing questions regarding planet…
Understanding the role of optical absorbers is critical for linking the properties of the day-side and terminator atmospheres of hot Jupiters. This study aims to identify the signatures of optical absorbers in the atmosphere of the hot…