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Calder Lenhart

Publications and source records attributed to Calder Lenhart.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PEPSI Investigation, Retrieval, and Atlas of Numerous Giant Atmospheres (PIRANGA). IV. High-Resolution Phased-Resolved Spectroscopy of The Ultra Hot Jupiter KELT-20 b

We present five datasets of high-resolution optical emission spectra of the ultra-hot Jupiter KELT-20 b with the PEPSI spectrograph. Using a Bayesian retrieval framework, we constrain its dayside pressure-temperature profile and abundances of Fe, Ni, and Ca, providing the first measurements for Ni and Ca for KELT-20 b in emission. We retrieve the pre- and post-eclipse datasets separately (corresponding to the evening and morning sides, respectively), and compare the constraints on their thermal structures and chemical abundances. We constrain lower abundances in the pre-eclipse datasets compared to the post-eclipse datasets. We interpret these results with an equilibrium chemistry model which suggests ~10-30x supersolar refractory abundances. Due to the well-known degeneracy between absolute abundances and continuum opacities, the abundance ratios are more precise probes of the planetary abundances. Therefore we measure the abundance ratios [Ni/Fe] and [Ca/Fe] across these datasets and find they agree within 1-sigma. We constrain [Ni/Fe] to be consistent with solar within 2-sigma, and [Ca/Fe] to be 0.001-0.01x solar, not accounting for ionization. We compare these abundance ratios with literature results for KELT-20 b in transmission, and find they agree within 2-sigma, suggesting that even though the abundances vary significantly as a function of phase, the abundance ratios of these species remain relatively constant. We find a ~100 K difference in temperature at the top of the thermal inversion, suggesting a hotter evening side than morning side and underscoring the importance of considering 3D effects when studying ultra-hot Jupiters.

astro-ph.EP

PEPSI Investigation, Retrieval, and Atlas of Numerous Giant Atmospheres (PIRANGA). II. Phase-Resolved Cross-Correlation Transmission Spectroscopy of KELT-20b

KELT-20b is a well-studied ($T_{\text{eq}}=2262$ K) ultra hot Jupiter, but its multidimensional atmospheric structure remains unconstrained. We performed high-resolution cross-correlation transmission spectroscopy (HRCCTS) on a single transit time series of KELT-20b, observed with PEPSI on the LBT. Upon combining nineteen in-transit exposures, we detect Fe I $(11.9\sigma)$ and Fe II $(23.7\sigma)$ and tentatively detect Na I $(3.4\sigma)$ and Cr I $(3.3\sigma)$. The full-transit velocity offsets of the strongest absorbers are $\Delta V_{\text{Fe I}} = -1.0 \pm 0.7$ km s$^{-1}$ and $\Delta V_{\text{Fe II}}= 0.0\pm 0.5$ km s$^{-1}$, which are mostly inconsistent with previously published values for KELT-20b, although the previous measurements are mostly inconsistent with each other. By correcting for discrepant systemic velocity solutions of up to $1.7$ km s$^{-1}$ between studies, our Fe II offset becomes consistent with previous measurements ($\leq 1.7\sigma$), while Fe I remains significantly less blueshifted than in earlier studies ($ \geq 2.2-4.5\sigma$). We propose a set of detection criteria to improve future reproducibility in HRCCTS work. Phase-resolving the Fe I and Fe II absorption signatures into eight orbital phase bins reveals distinct dynamical regimes: Fe II exhibits a strong phase-dependent blueshift from ingress to egress along with significant limb asymmetry, while Fe I shows weaker signals and a more modest blueshift with phase. These patterns indicate day-to-night winds and suggest scale height differences are a significant driver of limb asymmetry in KELT-20b.

astro-ph.EP

PEPSI Investigation, Retrieval, and Atlas of Numerous Giant Atmospheres (PIRANGA). III. Composition and winds in the atmosphere of TOI-1518 b

Ultra-hot Jupiters (UHJs) orbit close to their host stars and experience extreme conditions, making them important laboratories to explore atmospheric composition and dynamics. Transmission spectroscopy is a useful tool to reveal chemical species and their vertical and longitudinal distribution in the atmosphere. We use transmission spectra from the PEPSI spectrograph on the Large Binocular Telescope to search for species and measure their time-resolved wind velocities in the atmosphere of TOI-1518 b. We detect Fe I at 7.8$\sigma$ and Fe II at 8.9$\sigma$, and tentatively detect Cr I at 4.4$\sigma$ and Ni I at 4.0$\sigma$. The time-resolved wind velocities of Fe I show a velocity pattern that is consistent with the velocity pattern of Fe II. TOI-1518 b joins a small sample of UHJs for which time-resolved wind velocities have been measured.

astro-ph.EP