Related papers: Prospects for Characterizing the Haziest Sub-Neptu…
Atmospheric characterization of exoplanets using ground-based high-resolution transmission spectroscopy has traditionally focussed on large and close-in planets, such as hot Jupiters. In this work, we aim to extend this technique to smaller…
Ultra-hot Jupiters (UHJs) undergo intense irradiation by their host stars and are expected to experience non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE) effects in their atmospheres. Such effects are computationally intensive to model but, at…
In recent years, it has become clear that a substantial fraction of transiting exoplanets have some form of aerosol present in their atmospheres. Transit spectroscopy - mostly of hot Jupiters, but also of some smaller planets - has provided…
Sub-Neptune exoplanets are the most abundant type of planet known today. As they do not have a Solar System counterpart, many open questions exist about their composition and formation. Previous spectroscopic studies rule out aerosol-free…
Transmission spectroscopy with ground-based, high-resolution instruments provides key insight into the composition of exoplanetary atmospheres. Molecules such as water and carbon monoxide have been unambiguously identified in hot gas giants…
Atmospheric retrievals of exoplanetary transmission spectra provide important constraints on various properties such as chemical abundances, cloud/haze properties, and characteristic temperatures, at the day-night atmospheric terminator. To…
We research the requirements of High Contrast Imaging when combined with the cross correlation (CC) of high resolution spectra with known spectroscopic templates for detecting and characterising exoplanets in reflected light. We simulate…
JWST recently measured the transmission spectrum of K2-18b, a habitable-zone sub-Neptune exoplanet, detecting CH$_4$ and CO$_2$ in its atmosphere. The discovery paper argued the data are best explained by a habitable "Hycean" world,…
The analysis of exoplanetary atmospheres by means of high-resolution spectroscopy is an expanding research field which provides information on chemical composition, thermal structure, atmospheric dynamics and orbital velocity of exoplanets.…
Recognizing whether a planet can support life is a primary goal of future exoplanet spectral characterization missions, but past research on habitability assessment has largely ignored the vastly different conditions that have existed in…
Ultra-hot Jupiters (UHJs) have recently been the focus of several atmospheric studies due to their extreme properties. While molecular hydrogen (H$_2$) plays a key role in UHJ atmospheres, it has not been directly detected on an exoplanet.…
Accurate estimations of atmospheric properties of exoplanets from transmission spectra require understanding of degeneracies between model parameters and observations that can resolve them. We conduct a systematic investigation of such…
Space telescopes such as EChO (Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory) and JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) will be important for the future study of extrasolar planet atmospheres. Both of these missions are capable of performing high…
Space-borne low-to medium-resolution (R~10^2-10^3) transmission spectroscopy of atmospheres detect the broadest spectral features (alkali doublets, molecular bands, scattering), while high-resolution (R~10^5), ground-based observations…
The search for water-rich Earth-sized exoplanets around low-mass stars is rapidly gaining attention because they represent the best opportunity to characterize habitable planets in the near future. Understanding the atmospheres of these…
High resolution transit spectroscopy has proven to be a reliable technique for the characterization of the chemical composition of exoplanet atmospheres. Taking advantage of the broad spectral coverage of the CARMENES spectrograph, we…
We present new calculations of transit spectra of super-Earths that allow for atmospheres with arbitrary proportions of common molecular species and haze. We test this method with generic spectra, reproducing the expected systematics and…
In recent years, JWST has facilitated detections of carbon-bearing molecules in the atmospheres of temperate sub-Neptunes orbiting M dwarfs, ushering in a new era in the characterization of this intriguing planetary regime. We report the…
GJ1214b is thought to be either a mini-Neptune with a thick, hydrogen-rich atmosphere, or a planet with a composition dominated by water. In the case of a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, molecular absorption and scattering processes may result in…
High altitude clouds and hazes are integral to understanding exoplanet observations, and are proposed to explain observed featureless transit spectra. However, it is difficult to make inferences from these data because of the need to…