Search results for "Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics"
showing 10 items of 69 documents
Analysis of the planetary mass uncertainties on the accuracy of atmospherical retrieval
2023
Characterising the properties of exoplanet atmospheres relies on several interconnected parameters, which makes it difficult to determine them independently. Planetary mass plays a role in determining the scale height of atmospheres, similarly to the contribution from the average molecular weight of the gas. We investigate the relevance of planetary mass knowledge in spectral retrievals, identifying cases where mass measurements are needed for clear or cloudy and primary or secondary atmospheres, along with the relevant precision, in the context of the ESA M4 Ariel Mission. We used TauREx to simulate the Ariel transmission spectra of representative targets of the Ariel mission reference sam…
iLocater: a diffraction-limited Doppler spectrometer for the Large Binocular Telescope
2016
We are developing a stable and precise spectrograph for the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) named "iLocater." The instrument comprises three principal components: a cross-dispersed echelle spectrograph that operates in the YJ-bands (0.97-1.30 microns), a fiber-injection acquisition camera system, and a wavelength calibration unit. iLocater will deliver high spectral resolution (R~150,000-240,000) measurements that permit novel studies of stellar and substellar objects in the solar neighborhood including extrasolar planets. Unlike previous planet-finding instruments, which are seeing-limited, iLocater operates at the diffraction limit and uses single mode fibers to eliminate the effects of m…
Correcting the effect of stellar spots on ARIEL transmission spectra
2020
The goal of this study is to assess the impact of the stellar spots on the extraction of the planetary transmission spectra observed by ARIEL. We develop a method to model the stellar spectrum of a star in the presence of spots by using the out-of-transit observations. It is based on a chi squared minimization procedure of the out-of-transit spectrum on a grid of stellar spectra with different sizes and temperatures of the spots. The approach allows us also to study the temporal evolution of the spots when comparing stellar spectra observed at different epochs. We also present a method to correct the transit depth variations due to non-occulted stellar spots and estimate the error we introd…
Using the transit of Venus to probe the upper planetary atmosphere
2015
The atmosphere of a transiting planet shields the stellar radiation providing us with a powerful method to estimate its size and density. In particular, because of their high ionization energy, atoms with high atomic number (Z) absorb short-wavelength radiation in the upper atmosphere, undetectable with observations in visible light. One implication is that the planet should appear larger during a primary transit observed in high energy bands than in the optical band. The last Venus transit in 2012 offered a unique opportunity to study this effect. The transit has been monitored by solar space observations from Hinode and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). We measure the radius of Venus duri…
Dynamical environments of relativistic binaries: The phenomenon of resonance shifting
2019
In this article, we explore both numerically and analytically how the dynamical environments of mildly relativistic binaries evolve with increasing the general relativity factor $\gamma$ (the normalized inverse of the binary size measured in the units of the gravitational radius corresponding to the total mass of the system). Analytically, we reveal a phenomenon of the relativistic shifting of mean-motion resonances: on increasing $\gamma$, the resonances between the test particle and the central binary shift, due to the relativistic variation of the mean motions of the primary and secondary binaries and the relativistic advance of the tertiary's pericenter. To exhibit the circumbinary dyna…
Chaotic dynamics around cometary nuclei
2017
We apply a generalized Kepler map theory to describe the qualitative chaotic dynamics around cometary nuclei, based on accessible observational data for five comets whose nuclei are well-documented to resemble dumb-bells. The sizes of chaotic zones around the nuclei and the Lyapunov times of the motion inside these zones are estimated. In the case of Comet 1P/Halley, the circumnuclear chaotic zone seems to engulf an essential part of the Hill sphere, at least for orbits of moderate to high eccentricity.
Liquid methane at extreme temperature and pressure: Implications for models of Uranus and Neptune
2012
We present large scale electronic structure based molecular dynamics simulations of liquid methane at planetary conditions. In particular, we address the controversy of whether or not the interior of Uranus and Neptune consists of diamond. In our simulations we find no evidence for the formation of diamond, but rather sp2-bonded polymeric carbon. Furthermore, we predict that at high tem- perature hydrogen may exist in its monoatomic and metallic state. The implications of our finding for the planetary models of Uranus and Neptune are in detail discussed.
MOA-2011-BLG-293Lb: A test of pure survey microlensing planet detections
2012
Because of the development of large-format, wide-field cameras, microlensing surveys are now able to monitor millions of stars with sufficient cadence to detect planets. These new discoveries will span the full range of significance levels including planetary signals too small to be distinguished from the noise. At present, we do not understand where the threshold is for detecting planets. MOA-2011-BLG-293Lb is the first planet to be published from the new surveys, and it also has substantial followup observations. This planet is robustly detected in survey+followup data (Delta chi^2 ~ 5400). The planet/host mass ratio is q=5.3+/- 0.2*10^{-3}. The best fit projected separation is s=0.548+/-…
Multi-band high resolution spectroscopy rules out the hot Jupiter BD+20 1790b - First data from the GIARPS Commissioning
2018
Context. Stellar activity is currently challenging the detection of young planets via the radial velocity (RV) technique. Aims. We attempt to definitively discriminate the nature of the RV variations for the young active K5 star BD+20 1790, for which visible (VIS) RV measurements show divergent results on the existence of a substellar companion. Methods. We compare VIS data with high precision RVs in the near infrared (NIR) range by using the GIANO - B and IGRINS spectrographs. In addition, we present for the first time simultaneous VIS-NIR observations obtained with GIARPS (GIANO - B and HARPS - N) at Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG). Orbital RVs are achromatic, so the RV amplitude does …
Hot Super-Earths with Hydrogen Atmospheres: A Model Explaining Their Paradoxical Existence
2019
In this paper we propose a new mechanism that could explain the survival of hydrogen atmospheres on some hot super-Earths. We argue that on close-orbiting tidally-locked super-Earths the tidal forces with the orbital and rotational centrifugal forces can partially confine the atmosphere on the nightside. Assuming a super terran body with an atmosphere dominated by volcanic species and a large hydrogen component, the heavier molecules can be shown to be confined within latitudes of $\lesssim 80^{\circ}$ whilst the volatile hydrogen is not. Because of this disparity the hydrogen has to slowly diffuse out into the dayside where XUV irradiation destroys it. For this mechanism to take effect it …