A GROUND-BASED OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM OF WASP-6b

We present a ground-based optical transmission spectrum of the inflated sub-Jupiter-mass planet WASP-6b. The spectrum was measured in 20 spectral channels from 480 nm to 860 nm using a series of 91 spectra over a complete transit event. The observations were carried out using multi-object differenti...

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Main Authors: Jordan, Andres, Espinoza, Nestor, Rabus, Markus, Eyheramendy, Susana, Sing, David K., Desert, Jean-Michel, Bakos, Gaspar A., Fortney, Jonathan J., Lopez-Morales, Mercedes, Maxted, Pierre F. L., Triaud, Amaury, Szentgyorgyi, Andrew
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
Format: Article
Language:en_US
Published: Institute of Physics/American Astronomical Society 2015
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/93756
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5510-8751
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author Jordan, Andres
Espinoza, Nestor
Rabus, Markus
Eyheramendy, Susana
Sing, David K.
Desert, Jean-Michel
Bakos, Gaspar A.
Fortney, Jonathan J.
Lopez-Morales, Mercedes
Maxted, Pierre F. L.
Triaud, Amaury
Szentgyorgyi, Andrew
author2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
author_facet Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
Jordan, Andres
Espinoza, Nestor
Rabus, Markus
Eyheramendy, Susana
Sing, David K.
Desert, Jean-Michel
Bakos, Gaspar A.
Fortney, Jonathan J.
Lopez-Morales, Mercedes
Maxted, Pierre F. L.
Triaud, Amaury
Szentgyorgyi, Andrew
author_sort Jordan, Andres
collection MIT
description We present a ground-based optical transmission spectrum of the inflated sub-Jupiter-mass planet WASP-6b. The spectrum was measured in 20 spectral channels from 480 nm to 860 nm using a series of 91 spectra over a complete transit event. The observations were carried out using multi-object differential spectrophotometry with the Inamori-Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph on the Baade Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. We model systematic effects on the observed light curves using principal component analysis on the comparison stars and allow for the presence of short and long memory correlation structure in our Monte Carlo Markov Chain analysis of the transit light curves for WASP-6. The measured transmission spectrum presents a general trend of decreasing apparent planetary size with wavelength and lacks evidence for broad spectral features of Na and K predicted by clear atmosphere models. The spectrum is consistent with that expected for scattering that is more efficient in the blue, as could be caused by hazes or condensates in the atmosphere of WASP-6b. WASP-6b therefore appears to be yet another massive exoplanet with evidence for a mostly featureless transmission spectrum, underscoring the importance that hazes and condensates can have in determining the transmission spectra of exoplanets.
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spelling mit-1721.1/937562022-10-02T05:47:41Z A GROUND-BASED OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM OF WASP-6b Jordan, Andres Espinoza, Nestor Rabus, Markus Eyheramendy, Susana Sing, David K. Desert, Jean-Michel Bakos, Gaspar A. Fortney, Jonathan J. Lopez-Morales, Mercedes Maxted, Pierre F. L. Triaud, Amaury Szentgyorgyi, Andrew Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research Triaud, Amaury We present a ground-based optical transmission spectrum of the inflated sub-Jupiter-mass planet WASP-6b. The spectrum was measured in 20 spectral channels from 480 nm to 860 nm using a series of 91 spectra over a complete transit event. The observations were carried out using multi-object differential spectrophotometry with the Inamori-Magellan Areal Camera and Spectrograph on the Baade Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory. We model systematic effects on the observed light curves using principal component analysis on the comparison stars and allow for the presence of short and long memory correlation structure in our Monte Carlo Markov Chain analysis of the transit light curves for WASP-6. The measured transmission spectrum presents a general trend of decreasing apparent planetary size with wavelength and lacks evidence for broad spectral features of Na and K predicted by clear atmosphere models. The spectrum is consistent with that expected for scattering that is more efficient in the blue, as could be caused by hazes or condensates in the atmosphere of WASP-6b. WASP-6b therefore appears to be yet another massive exoplanet with evidence for a mostly featureless transmission spectrum, underscoring the importance that hazes and condensates can have in determining the transmission spectra of exoplanets. Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (Chile) (FONDECYT project 1130857) Comisión Nacional de Investigación Ciencia y Tecnología (Chile) (BASAL CATA PFB-06) World Bank (Millennium Science Initiative) Chile. Ministry of Economy (Nucleus P10-022-F) Pontifical Catholic University of Chile (proyecto investigacion interdisciplinaria 25/2011) Comisión Nacional de Investigación Ciencia y Tecnología (Chile) (CONICYT-PCHA/Doctorado Nacional) Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (Chile) (FONDECYT postdoctoral fellowship 3120097) Science and Technology Facilities Council (Great Britain) (STFC consolidated grant ST/J0016/1) United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Sagan Exoplanet Fellowship administered by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute (NExScI)) Swiss National Science Foundation (Fellow, grant number PBGEP2-145594) 2015-02-04T19:30:44Z 2015-02-04T19:30:44Z 2013-12 2013-09 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0004-637X 1538-4357 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/93756 Jordan, Andres, Nestor Espinoza, Markus Rabus, Susana Eyheramendy, David K. Sing, Jean-Michel Desert, Gaspar A. Bakos, et al. “A GROUND-BASED OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM OF WASP-6b.” The Astrophysical Journal 778, no. 2 (November 13, 2013): 184. © 2013 American Astronomical Society. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5510-8751 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/778/2/184 Astrophysical Journal Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf Institute of Physics/American Astronomical Society American Astronomical Society
spellingShingle Jordan, Andres
Espinoza, Nestor
Rabus, Markus
Eyheramendy, Susana
Sing, David K.
Desert, Jean-Michel
Bakos, Gaspar A.
Fortney, Jonathan J.
Lopez-Morales, Mercedes
Maxted, Pierre F. L.
Triaud, Amaury
Szentgyorgyi, Andrew
A GROUND-BASED OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM OF WASP-6b
title A GROUND-BASED OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM OF WASP-6b
title_full A GROUND-BASED OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM OF WASP-6b
title_fullStr A GROUND-BASED OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM OF WASP-6b
title_full_unstemmed A GROUND-BASED OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM OF WASP-6b
title_short A GROUND-BASED OPTICAL TRANSMISSION SPECTRUM OF WASP-6b
title_sort ground based optical transmission spectrum of wasp 6b
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/93756
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5510-8751
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