arXiv subjects

E. J. W. de Mooij

Publications and source records attributed to E. J. W. de Mooij.

20 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2009

Ground-based K-band detection of thermal emission from the exoplanet TrES-3b

Context: Secondary eclipse measurements of transiting extrasolar planets with the Spitzer Space Telescope have yielded several direct detections of thermal exoplanet light. Since Spitzer operates at wavelengths longward of 3.6 um, arguably one of the most interesting parts of the planet spectrum (from 1 to 3 um) is inaccessible with this satellite. This region is at the peak of the planet's spectral energy distribution and is also the regime where molecular absorption bands can significantly influence the measured emission. Aims: So far, 2.2 um K-band secondary eclipse measurements, which are possible from the ground, have not yet lead to secure detections. The aim of this paper is to measure the secondary eclipse of the very hot Jupiter TrES-3b in K-band, and in addition to observe its transit, to obtain an accurate planet radius in the near infrared. Methods: We have used the William Herschell Telescope (WHT) to observe the secondary eclipse, and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) to observe the transit of TrES-3b. Both observations involved significant defocusing of the telescope, aimed to produce high-cadence time series of several thousand frames at high efficiency, with the starlight spread out over many pixels. Results: We detect the secondary eclipse of TrES-3b with a depth of -0.241+-0.043% (~6 sigma). This corresponds to a day-side brightness temperature of T_B(2.2um)= 2040+-185 K, which is consistent with current models of the physical properties of this planet's upper atmosphere. The centre of the eclipse seems slightly offset from phase phi=0.5 by Delta_phi=-0.0042+-0.0027, which could indicate that the orbit of TrES-3b is non-circular [abridged].

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arXiv2008

Ground-based detection of sodium in the transmission spectrum of exoplanet HD209458b

[Context] The first detection of an atmosphere around an extrasolar planet was presented by Charbonneau and collaborators in 2002. In the optical transmission spectrum of the transiting exoplanet HD209458b, an absorption signal from sodium was measured at a level of 0.023+-0.006%, using the STIS spectrograph on the Hubble Space Telescope. Despite several attempts, so far only upper limits to the Na D absorption have been obtained using telescopes from the ground, and the HST result has yet to be confirmed. [Aims] The aims of this paper are to re-analyse data taken with the High Dispersion Spectrograph on the Subaru telescope, to correct for systematic effects dominating the data quality, and to improve on previous results presented in the literature. [Methods] The data reduction process was altered in several places, most importantly allowing for small shifts in the wavelength solution. The relative depth of all lines in the spectra, including the two sodium D lines, are found to correlate strongly with the continuum count level in the spectra. These variations are attributed to non-linearity effects in the CCDs. After removal of this empirical relation the uncertainties in the line depths are only a fraction above that expected from photon statistics. [Results] The sodium absorption due to the planet's atmosphere is detected at >5 sigma, at a level of 0.056+-0.007% (2x3.0 Ang band), 0.070+-0.011% (2x1.5 Ang band), and 0.135+-0.017% (2x0.75 Ang band). There is no evidence that the planetary absorption signal is shifted with respect to the stellar absorption, as recently claimed for HD189733b. The measurements in the two most narrow bands indicate that some signal is being resolved.[abridged]

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