Related papers: Formation and dynamics of water clouds on temperat…
Clouds in the atmospheres of exoplanets confound characterization efforts by reducing, eliminating, and distorting spectral signatures of molecular abundances. As such, interpretations of exoplanet spectra strongly depend on the choice of…
Transmission spectroscopy of transiting exoplanets is a proven technique that can yield information on the composition and structure of a planet's atmosphere. However, transmission spectra may be compromised by inhomogeneities in the…
The search for habitable, Earth-like exoplanets faces major observational challenges due to their small size and faint signals. M-dwarf stars offer a promising avenue to detect and study smaller planets, especially sub-Neptunes-among the…
The super-Neptune exoplanet WASP-107b is an exciting target for atmosphere characterization. It has an unusually large atmospheric scale height and a small, bright host star, raising the possibility of precise constraints on its current…
We study the properties of photochemical hazes in super-Earths/mini-Neptunes atmospheres with particular focus on GJ1214b. We evaluate photochemical haze properties at different metallicities between solar and 10000$\times$solar. Within the…
Recent analysis of the planet K2-18b has shown the presence of water vapour in its atmosphere. While the H2O detection is significant, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3 spectrum suggests three possible solutions of very different nature…
One of the most profound questions about the newly discovered class of low-density super-Earths is whether these exoplanets are predominately H2-dominated mini-Neptunes or volatile-rich worlds with gas envelopes dominated by H2O, CO2, CO,…
Observations of exoplanet atmospheres have revealed the presence of cloud particles in their atmospheres. 3D modelling of cloud formation in atmospheres of extrasolar planets coupled to the atmospheric dynamics has long been a challenge. We…
Sub-Neptunes represent the current frontier of exoplanet atmospheric characterisation. A proposed subset, Hycean planets, would have liquid water oceans and be potentially habitable, but there are many unanswered questions about their…
With the operation of JWST, atmospheric characterization has now extended to low-mass exoplanets. In compact multiplanetary systems, secular spin-orbital resonance may preserve high obliquities and asynchronous rotation even for…
Sub-Neptunes are among the most common type of close-in planets found in our galaxy, yet their bulk composition remains largely uncertain; H-rich envelopes overlaying rocky cores, volatile-rich planets, and carbon-rich interiors all remain…
Unlocking the atmospheres of sub-Neptunes is among JWST's major achievements, yet such observations demand complex analyses that strongly affect interpretations. We present an independent reanalysis of the original JWST transmission…
Neptune-size exoplanets are less studied as characterizing their atmospheres presents challenges due to their relatively small radius and atmospheric scale height. As the most common outcome of planet formation, these planets are crucial…
Warm Saturn type exoplanets orbiting M-dwarfs are particularly suitable for in-depth cloud characterisation through transmission spectroscopy due to their favourable stellar to planetary radius contrast. However, modelling cloud formation…
We present the first comprehensive look at the $0.35-5$ $\mu$m transmission spectrum of the warm ($\sim 800$ K) Neptune HAT-P-11b derived from thirteen individual transits observed using the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. Along with…
(Abridged). In this paper, we present results from a large set of numerical simulations that demonstrate that H2 formation occurs rapidly in turbulent gas. Starting with purely atomic hydrogen, large quantities of molecular hydrogen can be…
Context. Observations suggest that exoplanets such as HD 189733b form clouds in their atmospheres which have a strong feedback onto their thermodynamical and chemical structure, and overall appearance. Aims. Inspired by mineral cloud…
GJ1214b is a warm sub-Neptune transiting in front of a nearby M dwarf star. Recent observations indicate the presence of high and thick clouds or haze whose presence requires strong atmospheric mixing. In order to understand the transport…
With no analogues in the Solar System, the discovery of thousands of exoplanets with masses and radii intermediate between Earth and Neptune was one of the big surprises of exoplanet science. These super-Earths and sub-Neptunes likely…
Clouds form in the atmospheres of planets where they can determine the observable spectra, the albedo and phase curves. Cloud properties are determined by the local thermodynamical and chemical conditions of an atmospheric gas. A retrieval…