ExoGemS Detection of a Metal Hydride in an Exoplanet Atmosphere at High Spectral Resolution
Exoplanet atmosphere studies are often enriched by synergies with brown dwarf analogs. However, many key molecules commonly seen in brown dwarfs have yet to be confirmed in exoplanet atmospheres. An important example is chromium hydride (CrH), which is often used to probe atmospheric...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ace529 |
| _version_ | 1827104823148806144 |
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| author | Laura Flagg Jake D. Turner Emily Deibert Andrew Ridden-Harper Ernst de Mooij Ryan J. MacDonald Ray Jayawardhana Neale Gibson Adam Langeveld David Sing |
| author_facet | Laura Flagg Jake D. Turner Emily Deibert Andrew Ridden-Harper Ernst de Mooij Ryan J. MacDonald Ray Jayawardhana Neale Gibson Adam Langeveld David Sing |
| author_sort | Laura Flagg |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Exoplanet atmosphere studies are often enriched by synergies with brown dwarf
analogs. However, many key molecules commonly seen in brown dwarfs have yet to
be confirmed in exoplanet atmospheres. An important example is chromium hydride
(CrH), which is often used to probe atmospheric temperatures and classify brown
dwarfs into spectral types. Recently, tentative evidence for CrH was reported in
the low-resolution transmission spectrum of the hot Jupiter WASP-31b. Here, we
present high spectral resolution observations of WASP-31b’s transmission
spectrum from GRACES/Gemini North and UVES/Very Large Telescope. We detect CrH
at 5.6 σ confidence, representing the first metal
hydride detection in an exoplanet atmosphere at high spectral resolution. Our
findings constitute a critical step in understanding the role of metal hydrides
in exoplanet atmospheres. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T11:22:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-99cc7258541c418bbfac3f739d8b0482 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-20T09:29:03Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-99cc7258541c418bbfac3f739d8b04822024-09-25T10:17:18ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052023-01-019532L1910.3847/2041-8213/ace529ExoGemS Detection of a Metal Hydride in an Exoplanet Atmosphere at High Spectral ResolutionLaura Flagg0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6362-0571Jake D. Turner1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7836-1787Emily Deibert2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9796-2158Andrew Ridden-Harper3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5425-2655Ernst de Mooij4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6391-9266Ryan J. MacDonald5https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4816-3469Ray Jayawardhana6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5349-6853Neale Gibson7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9308-2353Adam Langeveld8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4451-1705David Sing9https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6050-7645Department of Astronomy and Carl Sagan Institute, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA ; laura.s.flagg@gmail.comDepartment of Astronomy and Carl Sagan Institute, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA ; laura.s.flagg@gmail.comGemini Observatory , NSF’s NOIRLab, Casilla 603, La Serena, ChileLas Cumbres Observatory , 6740 Cortona Drive, Suite 102, Goleta, CA 93117, USAAstrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen’s University Belfast , University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN, UKDepartment of Astronomy and Carl Sagan Institute, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA ; laura.s.flagg@gmail.com; Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USADepartment of Astronomy, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USASchool of Physics, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin , Dublin 2, IrelandDepartment of Astronomy and Carl Sagan Institute, Cornell University , Ithaca, NY 14853, USA ; laura.s.flagg@gmail.comDepartment of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University , Baltimore, MD 21218, USAExoplanet atmosphere studies are often enriched by synergies with brown dwarf analogs. However, many key molecules commonly seen in brown dwarfs have yet to be confirmed in exoplanet atmospheres. An important example is chromium hydride (CrH), which is often used to probe atmospheric temperatures and classify brown dwarfs into spectral types. Recently, tentative evidence for CrH was reported in the low-resolution transmission spectrum of the hot Jupiter WASP-31b. Here, we present high spectral resolution observations of WASP-31b’s transmission spectrum from GRACES/Gemini North and UVES/Very Large Telescope. We detect CrH at 5.6 σ confidence, representing the first metal hydride detection in an exoplanet atmosphere at high spectral resolution. Our findings constitute a critical step in understanding the role of metal hydrides in exoplanet atmospheres.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ace529Exoplanet atmospheresExoplanetsHigh resolution spectroscopyTransmission spectroscopy |
| spellingShingle | Laura Flagg Jake D. Turner Emily Deibert Andrew Ridden-Harper Ernst de Mooij Ryan J. MacDonald Ray Jayawardhana Neale Gibson Adam Langeveld David Sing ExoGemS Detection of a Metal Hydride in an Exoplanet Atmosphere at High Spectral Resolution The Astrophysical Journal Letters Exoplanet atmospheres Exoplanets High resolution spectroscopy Transmission spectroscopy |
| title | ExoGemS Detection of a Metal Hydride in an Exoplanet Atmosphere at High Spectral Resolution |
| title_full | ExoGemS Detection of a Metal Hydride in an Exoplanet Atmosphere at High Spectral Resolution |
| title_fullStr | ExoGemS Detection of a Metal Hydride in an Exoplanet Atmosphere at High Spectral Resolution |
| title_full_unstemmed | ExoGemS Detection of a Metal Hydride in an Exoplanet Atmosphere at High Spectral Resolution |
| title_short | ExoGemS Detection of a Metal Hydride in an Exoplanet Atmosphere at High Spectral Resolution |
| title_sort | exogems detection of a metal hydride in an exoplanet atmosphere at high spectral resolution |
| topic | Exoplanet atmospheres Exoplanets High resolution spectroscopy Transmission spectroscopy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ace529 |
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