arXiv subjects

G. Tinetti

Publications and source records attributed to G. Tinetti.

34 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2011

EChO - Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory

A dedicated mission to investigate exoplanetary atmospheres represents a major milestone in our quest to understand our place in the universe by placing our Solar System in context and by addressing the suitability of planets for the presence of life. EChO -the Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory- is a mission concept specifically geared for this purpose. EChO will provide simultaneous, multi-wavelength spectroscopic observations on a stable platform that will allow very long exposures. EChO will build on observations by Hubble, Spitzer and groundbased telescopes, which discovered the first molecules and atoms in exoplanetary atmospheres. EChO will simultaneously observe a broad enough spectral region -from the visible to the mid-IR- to constrain from one single spectrum the temperature structure of the atmosphere and the abundances of the major molecular species. The spectral range and resolution are tailored to separate bands belonging to up to 30 molecules to retrieve the composition and temperature structure of planetary atmospheres. The target list for EChO includes planets ranging from Jupiter-sized with equilibrium temperatures Teq up to 2000 K, to those of a few Earth masses, with Teq ~300 K. We have baselined a dispersive spectrograph design covering continuously the 0.4-16 micron spectral range in 6 channels (1 in the VIS, 5 in the IR), which allows the spectral resolution to be adapted from several tens to several hundreds, depending on the target brightness. The instrument will be mounted behind a 1.5 m class telescope, passively cooled to 50 K, with the instrument structure and optics passively cooled to ~45 K. EChO will be placed in a grand halo orbit around L2. We have also undertaken a first-order cost and development plan analysis and find that EChO is easily compatible with the ESA M-class mission framework.

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arXiv2011

Characterising the Atmospheres of Transiting Planets with a Dedicated Space Telescope

Exoplanetary science is among the fastest evolving fields of today's astronomical research. Ground-based planet-hunting surveys alongside dedicated space missions (Kepler, CoRoT) are delivering an ever-increasing number of exoplanets, now numbering at ~690, with ESA's GAIA mission planned to bring this number into the thousands. The next logical step is the characterisation of these worlds: what is their nature? Why are they as they are? The use of the HST and Spitzer Space Telescope to probe the atmospheres of transiting hot, gaseous exoplanets has demonstrated that it is possible with current technology to address this ambitious goal. The measurements have also shown the difficulty of understanding the physics and chemistry of these environments when having to rely on a limited number of observations performed on a handful of objects. To progress substantially in this field, a dedicated facility for exoplanet characterization with an optimised instrument design (detector performance, photometric stability, etc.), able to observe through time and over a broad spectral range a statistically significant number of planets, will be essential. We analyse the performances of a 1.2/1.4m space telescope for exoplanet transit spectroscopy from the visible to the mid IR, and present the SNR ratio as function of integration time and stellar magnitude/spectral type for the acquisition of spectra of planetary atmospheres in a variety of scenarios: hot, warm, and temperate planets, orbiting stars ranging in spectral type from hot F to cool M dwarfs. We include key examples of known planets (e.g. HD 189733b, Cancri 55 e) and simulations of plausible terrestrial and gaseous planets, with a variety of thermodynamical conditions. We conclude that even most challenging targets, such as super-Earths in the habitable-zone of late-type stars, are within reach of a M-class, space-based spectroscopy mission.

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arXiv2011

Ground-based NIR emission spectroscopy of HD189733b

We investigate the K and L band dayside emission of the hot-Jupiter HD 189733b with three nights of secondary eclipse data obtained with the SpeX instrument on the NASA IRTF. The observations for each of these three nights use equivalent instrument settings and the data from one of the nights has previously reported by Swain et al (2010). We describe an improved data analysis method that, in conjunction with the multi-night data set, allows increased spectral resolution (R~175) leading to high-confidence identification of spectral features. We confirm the previously reported strong emission at ~3.3 microns and, by assuming a 5% vibrational temperature excess for methane, we show that non-LTE emission from the methane nu3 branch is a physically plausible source of this emission. We consider two possible energy sources that could power non-LTE emission and additional modelling is needed to obtain a detailed understanding of the physics of the emission mechanism. The validity of the data analysis method and the presence of strong 3.3 microns emission is independently confirmed by simultaneous, long-slit, L band spectroscopy of HD 189733b and a comparison star.

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arXiv2011

Methane in the atmosphere of the transiting hot Neptune GJ436b?

We present an analysis of seven primary transit observations of the hot Neptune GJ436b at 3.6, 4.5 and $8~μ$m obtained with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. After correcting for systematic effects, we fitted the light curves using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique. Combining these new data with the EPOXI, HST and ground-based $V, I, H$ and $K_s$ published observations, the range $0.5-10~μ$m can be covered. Due to the low level of activity of GJ436, the effect of starspots on the combination of transits at different epochs is negligible at the accuracy of the dataset. Representative climate models were calculated by using a three-dimensional, pseudo-spectral general circulation model with idealised thermal forcing. Simulated transit spectra of GJ436b were generated using line-by-line radiative transfer models including the opacities of the molecular species expected to be present in such a planetary atmosphere. A new, ab-initio calculated, linelist for hot ammonia has been used for the first time. The photometric data observed at multiple wavelengths can be interpreted with methane being the dominant absorption after molecular hydrogen, possibly with minor contributions from ammonia, water and other molecules. No clear evidence of carbon monoxide and dioxide is found from transit photometry. We discuss this result in the light of a recent paper where photochemical disequilibrium is hypothesised to interpret secondary transit photometric data. We show that the emission photometric data are not incompatible with the presence of abundant methane, but further spectroscopic data are desirable to confirm this scenario.

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arXiv2010

Probing the terminator region atmosphere of the Hot-Jupiter XO-1b with transmission spectroscopy

We report here the first infrared spectrum of the hot-Jupiter XO-1b. The observations were obtained with NICMOS instrument onboard the Hubble Space Telescope during a primary eclipse of the XO-1 system. Near photon-noise-limited spectroscopy between 1.2 and 1.8 micron allows us to determine the main composition of this hot-Jupiter's planetary atmosphere with good precision. This is the third hot-Jupiter's atmosphere for which spectroscopic data are available in the near IR. The spectrum shows the presence of water vapor (H2O), methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), and suggests the possible presence of carbon monoxide (CO). We show that the published IRAC secondary transit emission photometric data are compatible with the atmospheric composition at the terminator determined from the NICMOS spectrum, with a range of possible mixing-ratios and thermal profiles; additional emission spectroscopy data are needed to reduce the degeneracy of the possible solutions. Finally, we note the similarity between the 1.2-1.8 micron transmission spectra of XO-1b and HD 209458b, suggesting that in addition to having similar stellar/orbital and planetary parameters the two systems may also have a similar exoplanetary atmospheric composition.

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arXiv2010

Water in HD 209458b's atmosphere from 3.6 - 8 microns IRAC photometric observations in primary transit

The hot Jupiter HD 209458b was observed during primary transit at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8 and 8.0 microns using the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. We detail here the procedures we adopted to correct for the systematic trends present in the IRAC data. The light curves were fitted including limb darkening effects and fitted using Markov Chain Monte Carlo and prayer-bead Monte Carlo techniques, finding almost identical results. The final depth measurements obtained by a combined Markov Chain Monte Carlo fit are at 3.6 microns, 1.469 +- 0.013 % and 1.448 +- 0.013 %; at 4.5 microns, 1.478 +- 0.017 % ; at 5.8 microns, 1.549 +- 0.015 % and at 8.0 microns 1.535 +- 0.011 %. Our results clearly indicate the presence of water in the planetary atmosphere. Our broad band photometric measurements with IRAC prevent us from determining the additional presence of other other molecules such as CO, CO2 and methane for which spectroscopy is needed. While water vapour with a mixing ratio of 10^-4-10^-3 combined with thermal profiles retrieved from the day-side may provide a very good fit to our observations, this data set alone is unable to resolve completely the degeneracy between water abundance and atmospheric thermal profile.

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arXiv2009

Water, Methane, and Carbon Dioxide Present in the Dayside Spectrum of the Exoplanet HD 209458b

Using the NICMOS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope, we have measured the dayside spectrum of HD 209458b between 1.5--2.5 microns. The emergent spectrum is dominated by features due to the presence of methane (CH4) and water vapor (H2O), with smaller contributions from carbon dioxide (CO2). Combining this near-infrared spectrum with existing mid-infrared measurements shows the existence of a temperature inversion and confirms the interpretation of previous photometry measurements. We find a family of plausible solutions for the molecular abundance and detailed temperature profile. Observationally resolving the ambiguity between abundance and temperature requires either (1) improved wavelength coverage or spectral resolution of the dayside emission spectrum, or (2) a transmission spectrum where abundance determinations are less sensitive to the temperature structure.

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arXiv2008

Molecular Signatures in the Near Infrared Dayside Spectrum of HD 189733b

We have measured the dayside spectrum of HD 189733b between 1.5 and 2.5 microns using the NICMOS instrument on the Hubble Space Telescope. The emergent spectrum contains significant modulation, which we attribute to the presence of molecular bands seen in absorption. We find that water (H2O), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2) are needed to explain the observations, and we are able to estimate the mixing ratios for these molecules. We also find temperature decreases with altitude in the ~0.01 < P < ~1 bar region of the dayside near-infrared photosphere and set an upper limit to the dayside abundance of methane (CH4) at these pressures.

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arXiv2008

Diversity among other worlds: characterization of exoplanets by direct detection

The physical characterization of exoplanets will require to take spectra at several orbital positions. For that purpose, a direct imaging capability is necessary. Direct imaging requires an efficient stellar suppression mechanism, associated with an ultrasmooth telescope. We show that before future large space missions (interferometer, 4-8 m class coronograph, external occulter or Fresnel imager), direct imaging of giant planets and close-by super-Earth are at the cross-road of a high scientific interest and a reasonable feasibility. The scientific interest lies in the fact that super-Earths share common geophysical attributes with Earths. They already begin to be detected by radial velocity (RV) and, together with giant planets, they have a larger area than Earths, making them detectable with a 1.5-2 m class telescope in reflected light. We propose such a (space) telescope be a first step before large direct imaging missions.

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arXiv2008

Super Earth Explorer: A Coronagraphic Off-Axis Space Telescope

The Super-Earth Explorer is an Off-Axis Space Telescope (SEE-COAST) designed for high contrast imaging. Its scientific objective is to make the physico-chemical characterization of exoplanets possibly down to 2 Earth radii >. For that purpose it will analyze the spectral and polarimetric properties of the parent starlight reflected by the planets, in the wavelength range 400-1250 nm

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arXiv2008

Using SPICA Space Telescope to characterize Exoplanets

We present the 3.5m SPICA space telescope, a proposed Japanese-led JAXA-ESA mission scheduled for launch around 2017. The actively cooled (<5 K), single aperture telescope and monolithic mirror will operate from ~3.5 to ~210 um and will provide superb sensitivity in the mid- and far-IR spectral domain (better than JWST at lambda > 18 um). SPICA is one of the few space missions selected to go to the next stage of ESA's Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 selection process. In this White Paper we present the main specifications of the three instruments currently baselined for SPICA: a mid-infrared (MIR) coronagraph (~3.5 to ~27 um) with photometric and spectral capabilities (R~200), a MIR wide-field camera and high resolution spectrometer (R~30,000), and a far-infrared (FIR ~30 to ~210 um) imaging spectrometer - SAFARI - led by a European consortium. We discuss their capabilities in the context of MIR direct observations of exo-planets (EPs) and multiband photometry/high resolution spectroscopy observations of transiting exo-planets. We conclude that SPICA will be able to characterize the atmospheres of transiting exo-planets down to the super-Earth size previously detected by ground- or space-based observatories. It will also directly detect and characterize Jupiter/Neptune-size planets orbiting at larger separation from their parent star (>5-10 AU), by performing quantitative atmospheric spectroscopy and studying proto-planetary and debris disks. In addition, SPICA will be a scientific and technological precursor for future, more ambitious, IR space missions for exo-planet direct detection as it will, for example, quantify the prevalence exo-zodiacal clouds in planetary systems and test coronographic techniques, cryogenic systems and lightweight, high quality telescopes. (abridged)

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arXiv2008

Primary transit of the planet HD189733b at 3.6 and 5.8 microns

The hot Jupiter HD 189733b was observed during its primary transit using the Infrared Array Camera on the Spitzer Space Telescope. The transit depths were measured simultaneously at 3.6 and 5.8 microns. Our analysis yields values of 2.356 +- 0.019 % and 2.436 +- 0.020$ % at 3.6 and 5.8 microns respectively, for a uniform source. We estimated the contribution of the limb-darkening and star-spot effects on the final results. We concluded that although the limb darkening increases by ~0.02-0.03 % the transit depths, and the differential effects between the two IRAC bands is even smaller, 0.01 %. Furthermore, the host star is known to be an active spotted K star with observed photometric modulation. If we adopt an extreme model of 20 % coverage with spots 1000K cooler of the star surface, it will make the observed transits shallower by 0.19 and 0.18 %. The difference between the two bands will be only of 0.01 %, in the opposite direction to the limb darkening correction. If the transit depth is affected by limb darkening and spots, the differential effects between the 3.6 and 5.8 microns bands are very small. The differential transit depths at 3.6 and 5.8 microns and the recent one published by Knutson et al.(2007) at 8 microns are in agreement with the presence of water vapour in the upper atmosphere of the planet. This is the companion paper to Tinetti et al. (2007b), where the detailed atmosphere models are presented.

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arXiv2006

Infrared Transmission Spectra for Extrasolar Giant Planets

Among the hot Jupiters that transit their parent stars known to date, the two best candidates to be observed with transmission spectroscopy in the mid-infrared (MIR) are HD189733b and HD209458b, due to their combined characteristics of planetary density, orbital parameters and parent star distance and brightness. Here we simulate transmission spectra of these two planets during their primary eclipse in the MIR, and we present sensitivity studies of the spectra to the changes of atmospheric thermal properties, molecular abundances and C/O ratios. Our model predicts that the dominant species absorbing in the MIR on hot Jupiters are water vapor and carbon monoxide, and their relative abundances are determined by the C/O ratio. Since the temperature profile plays a secondary role in the transmission spectra of hot Jupiters compared to molecular abundances, future primary eclipse observations in the MIR of those objects might give an insight on EGP atmospheric chemistry. We find here that the absorption features caused by water vapor and carbon monoxide in a cloud-free atmosphere, are deep enough to be observable by the present and future generation of space-based observatories, such as Spitzer Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope. We discuss our results in light of the capabilities of these telescopes.

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arXiv2005

Disk-averaged Spectra & light-curves of Earth

We are using computer models to explore the observational sensitivity to changes in atmospheric and surface properties, and the detectability of biosignatures, in the globally averaged spectra and light-curves of the Earth. Using AIRS (Atmospheric Infrared Sounder) data, as input for atmospheric and surface properties, we have generated spatially resolved high-resolution synthetic spectra using the SMART radiative transfer model, for a variety of conditions, from the UV to the far-IR (beyond the range of current Earth-based satellite data). We have then averaged over the visible disk for a number of different viewing geometries to quantify the sensitivity to surface types and atmospheric features as a function of viewing geometry, and spatial and spectral resolution. These results have been processed with an instrument simulator to improve our understanding of the detectable characteristics of Earth-like planets as viewed by the first generation extrasolar terrestrial planet detection and characterization missions (Terrestrial Planet Finder/Darwin and Life finder). The wavelength range of our results are modelled over are applicable to both the proposed visible coronograph and mid-infrared interferometer TPF architectures. We have validated this model against disk-averaged observations by the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS TES). This model was also used to analyze Earth-shine data for detectability of planetary characteristics and biosignatures in disk-averaged spectra.

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arXiv2001

Constraints in the coupling Star-Life

If life is sustained by a process of photosynthesis, not necessarily the same existing on Earth, the surface temperature of the star and the orbit of the host planet cannot be whatsoever. In fact the global life cycle, no matter how complicated, must contain in general an upper photochemical branch and a lower dark branch, characterized by a higher and a lower temperature. These two temperatures are star-orbit related. The velocity along the cycle or, in other words, the power of the life machine, depends in general on several other parameters. First of all the Gibbs photon availability, which is a star-orbit parameter and is the input for the upper branch. Then follows the energy cascade that develops along the organic web with a large number of interactions and typical times that must match the typical times generated by the combination of spin value and orientation, eccentricity and precession. Finally, the capacity of the web to keep the global life cycle running along the life span of the star, comes from some inner form of self-endurance and self-balance. The property of not being transient could be the right way of introducing the concept of intelligent life.

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arXiv2001

Available Energy for Life on a Planet, with or without Stellar Radiation

The quest for life in the Universe is often affected by the free use of extrapolations of our phenomenological geocentric knowledge. We point out that the existence of a living organism, and a population of organisms, requires the existence of available energy or, more precisely, available power per unit volume (Sect. 1). This is not a geocentric concept, but a principle that belongs to the foundations of thermodynamics. A quest about availability in the Universe is justified. We discuss the case in which power comes from mining (Sect. 2), and from thermal disequilibrium (Sect. 3). Thermal disequilibrium may show up in two ways: on planets without a star (Sect. 4), and on planets where the surface thermal disequilibrium is dominated by the incoming photon flux from the nearest star (Sect. 6). In the first case we study the availability by simulating the structure of the planet with a simple model that contains the general features of the problem. For the first case we show that the availability is in general very small (Sect. 5). In the second case we show that the availability is in general large; the order of magnitude depends first of all on the star's temperature and the planet's orbit, but is also controlled by the greenhouse gases present on the planet.

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