Water vapor in the spectrum of the extrasolar planet HD 189733b: 2. The eclipse

Abstract

Spectroscopic observations of exoplanets are crucial to infer the composition and properties of their atmospheres. HD 189733b is one of the most extensively studied exoplanets and is a corner stone for hot Jupiter models. In this paper, we report the day-side emission spectrum of HD 189733b in the wavelength range 1.1 to 1.7 $\mu$m obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 in spatial scan mode. The quality of the data is such that even a straightforward analysis yields a high precision Poisson noise limited spectrum: the median 1-$\sigma$ uncertainty is 57 ppm per 0.02 $\mu$m bin. We also build a white-light curve correcting for systematic effects and derive an absolute eclipse depth of 96$\pm$39 ppm. The resulting spectrum shows marginal evidence for water vapor absorption, but can also be well explained by a blackbody spectrum. However, the combination of these WFC3 data with previous Spitzer photometric observations is best explained by a day-side atmosphere of HD 189733b with no thermal inversion and a nearly solar or sub-solar H$_2$O abundance in a cloud-free atmosphere. Alternatively, this apparent sub-solar abundance may be the result of clouds or hazes which future studies need to investigate.