arXiv subjects

Marshall Perrin

Publications and source records attributed to Marshall Perrin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Dyn-Atmo Survey: High-contrast Imaging Spectroscopy of the Substellar Companion HD 13724 B with the JWST NIRSpec IFU

We present the first spectral analysis from the JWST Cycle 3 GO Program #6362, the Dyn-Atmo Survey of dynamical-atmospheric benchmarks, characterizing the atmospheres of directly-imaged companions with dynamical masses and measured orbits. This program has obtained moderate-resolution spectra (R$\sim$2700, 3-5$\mu$m) using the NIRSpec/G395H IFU. We observe the T4-dwarf companion, HD 13724 B, companion to a G-type star at a projected angular separation of 0''2. Updated orbital monitoring constrains the mass to $38.3\pm0.6~M_{\rm{Jup}}$, which we use as a Gaussian prior when inferring the atmospheric state. We fit the continuum-subtracted spectrum using the BT-SETTL, Sonora Diamondback, Sonora Flame Skimmer, and NEWERA-PHOENIX self-consistent model grids, together with petitRADTRANS atmospheric retrievals. We adopt bulk parameter values of $T_\mathrm{eff}$=$1150\pm$195 K, $\log g$=5.1$\pm0.3$ dex, [M/H]=0.4$\pm$0.4, $\log_{10}(K_{zz})$=6.33$_{-2.22}^{+2.59}$, and C/O=$0.50\pm0.13$ using a bayesian average across model grids. We find degeneracies in the models between surface gravity, metallicity, and $K_{zz}$ for Sonora Diamondback and Flame Skimmer. The Flame Skimmer and NEWERA-PHOENIX vertical mixing strengths are incompatible, with Flame Skimmer finding a systematically lower value. The retrievals favor an atmosphere in chemical equilibrium, with enhanced metallicity and a solar C/O ratio, but with no detection of disequilibrium chemistry, and no detection of trace gases other than CH$_4$, CO$_{2}$, $^{12}$CO and H$_{2}$O. Ultimately, we identify critical challenges in forward modeling continuum-subtracted G395H spectra in the low signal-to-noise regime. We find that including independent dynamical mass measurements better constrains atmospheric parameters, but degeneracies between self-consistent model parameters limit accurate atmospheric parameter inferences.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

The Dyn-Atmo Survey: JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy of dynamical benchmark GJ 758 B

We present new JWST/NIRSpec IFU high contrast spectroscopic observations of the brown dwarf companion GJ 758 B. Extensive radial velocity monitoring of the primary has enabled high-precision measurements of the companion mass through characterization of their joint orbital dynamics. The combination of prior space- and ground-based photometry and spectroscopic observations in concert with a spectral model-independent mass makes this target an ideal benchmark for calibrating evolutionary models with known mass-age-luminosity degeneracies. A template-matching analysis on the NIRSpec/IFU data (F290LP,G395H; $\lambda \in$ [2.87-5.27] $\mu$m) detects the companion at the expected orbital position with incredible significance (265.2$\sigma$). Comprehensive spectral analysis including published datasets over a variety of different spectral model families reveal that an inference using a uniform radius prior is plagued by inaccurate posteriors. The atmospheric model degeneracy between metallicity, gravity, and clouds pull the inferred mass/gravity/radius to an unphysical portion of parameter space for all model families tested. A constrained inference with a gaussian prior on the mass can mitigate this issue but models without clouds still struggle to accurately reproduce the K-band photometry and result in mass inferences which are inconsistent with the dynamics. We explore modifying the spectral models with custom post-processed clouds and molecular abundance perturbations of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. We find the best-fitting model includes clouds with no patchiness (hole fraction f$_\mathrm{hole}$ = 0), a small fractional depletion in ammonia and moderate enhancement in hydrogen sulfide.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Impacts of Correlated Noise on Retrievals of Exo-Earth Atmospheres

The Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) aims to accomplish high-contrast imaging and spectroscopy of true Earth analogs for the first time. However, high-contrast spectroscopy with HWO may be limited by residual speckles which persist after deformable mirror correction and post-processing, hindering atmospheric characterization. Previous studies of self-luminous giant planets showed that neglecting spectrally correlated errors due to speckles results in biased inferences of planetary parameters. Currently, HWO retrieval studies generate spectra without noise spectral correlations. We present a Gaussian Process model of correlated noise of known properties in simulated HWO exo-Earth spectra, and the integration of this noise source into the forward and inverse modeling tool \texttt{rfast}. We quantify the impact of correlated noise on inferred molecular abundances and planetary properties across the ultraviolet/visible/near-infrared bandpass, for varying spectral resolutions (R), signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), and noise correlation length-scales (L). We find that, at the fiducial UV/Vis/NIR R=7/140/70 and SNR=10, including spectrally correlated noise at L=200 nm and L=10 nm yields a 57\% and 161\% higher average uncertainty on log oxygen abundance, compared to uncorrelated noise. Consequently, it is critical for both instrument design and post-processing algorithms to minimize short length-scale chromaticity. Additionally, we find that a moderate resolution can constrain carbon dioxide (R$\geq 280$) and weakly detect methane (R$\geq2800$) abundances, demonstrating the benefit of a moderate resolution near-infrared spectrograph. These findings can aid the interpretation of future HWO reflectance spectra and set requirements on optical quality, instrument stability, and observing configurations.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2026

Ubiquitous Interstellar Neutral Helium Detected with JWST

We report the discovery of ubiquitous neutral helium emission in sky spectra taken with JWST's NIRSpec instrument. The emission, with a wavelength of 1.0833 micron, resembles one of the "sky lines" that are seen by ground-based observatories. We examine this emission in all suitable NIRSpec spectra in the public archive, totaling 22 days of exposure time. We find that this He I emission is almost always present: it is well-detected in 80 percent of the observations, and in 53 percent of the individual exposures. The emission is highly time-variable: at a given pointing, the line intensity can vary by factors of several over the course of a day. The He I emission is strongest when JWST crosses through the cone of interstellar neutral helium that is gravitationally focused by the sun; intensity during the cone crossing is anti-correlated with solar activity. The low redshift and narrow velocity width of the He I line, and the elevated intensity when JWST crosses through the focusing cone, together indicate that origin of the He I emission is cold Milky Way gas passing through our solar system. JWST provides a new way to study this interstellar gas, revealing new insights such as extreme variability on timescales of hours to days, which has not been previously reported.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

JWST NIRCam Reveals the Largest Known M-dwarf Debris Disk Around TWA 10 and New Scattered-Light Observations of the TWA 25 Debris Disk

We present JWST NIRCam observations of two M-dwarf systems located in the TW Hydra association, TWA 10 and TWA 25. Both systems harbor detected debris disks in the F200W and F444W filters. Whereas the TWA 25 disk has been previously imaged, these observations represent the discovery and first images of the TWA 10 disk. In addition to planet searches within these systems, we also conduct an analysis of each debris disk, where the TWA 10 debris disk is characterized for the first time. We find that the TWA 10 debris disk is very large, with a radius of $\sim$191 au, significantly greater than other known M-dwarf debris disks. The TWA 25 disk hosts a sharp inner dust surface density power-law and a moderate brightness asymmetry present at 2 $\mu$m, suggesting potential sculpting from inner planets and potentially enhanced collisional activity. Finally, we find one potential companion candidate within the TWA 10 system and two within the TWA 25 system, although the measured F200W-F444W color suggests that these candidates are likely background objects. Both systems do not have measured IR-excesses in their SEDs, where radiative-transfer modeling suggests that these disks (and potentially more M-dwarf disks) were likely missed by previous disk detection surveys due to having low luminosity fractions.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2026

JWST-TST High Contrast: First Direct Spectroscopy of GJ 504 b reveals Clouds and Possible Metal Enrichment

Characterizing the coldest directly imaged companions through direct spectroscopy has only recently become possible with the James Webb Space Telescope. We present moderate-resolution (R $\sim$ 2,700) spectroscopic observations of the directly imaged planetary-mass companion (PMC), GJ 504 b, using the $JWST$/NIRSpec. As the coldest imaged PMC of the pre-JWST era GJ 504 b is too faint for ground-based spectroscopy, with only photometric observations possible. Leveraging advanced post-processing techniques with a forward modeling framework, we detect the companion at high signal-to-noise (S/N$>$300). We also present the first successful PSF subtraction with angular differential imaging (ADI) in the NIRSpec point cloud, detecting GJ 504 b at S/N$>10$ and reaching contrast limits $<10^{-4}$. The extracted 2.9--5.3 $\mu m$ spectra show strong signatures of several molecular species, including H$_2$O, $^{12}$C$^{16}$O, CH$_4$, CO$_2$, NH$_3$, H$_2$S, $^{13}$C$^{16}$O, and $^{12}$C$^{18}$O. Atmospheric modeling of the spectra using \texttt{petitRADTRANS}, yields an effective temperature = 564$\pm$4 K, surface gravity $\log{g}$ = 4.87$^{+0.13}_{-0.12}$, metallicity [M/H] = 0.67$^{+0.13}_{-0.12}$, C/O ratio = 0.64$^{+0.02}_{-0.02}$, interstellar $^{12}$C/$^{13}$C and $^{16}$O/$^{18}$O isotopologue ratios, and strong evidence of disequilibrium chemistry and salt clouds. The retrieved parameters indicate a mass 25.2$^{+8.4}_{-6.0}$ $M_\mathrm{Jup}$, which is in agreement with the mass range (19--27 $M_\mathrm{Jup}$) obtained from ATMO evolutionary models, implying an age of 2.5--4.0 Gyr. Lastly, we compare the abundances of GJ 504 b to its primary, obtaining a stellar abundance of sulfur (S), super-stellar carbon (C), and possibly, oxygen (O). The observed metal enrichment tentatively supports planet-like formation, but does not entirely exclude stellar abundances for GJ 504 b.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2026

The JWST Early Release Science Program for Direct Observations of Exoplanetary Systems. VII. Molecular Mapping Performance with JWST/MIRI MRS: VHS 1256 b as a case study

VHS 1256 b was the first planetary-mass companion to be observed with the James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (JWST/MIRI) using the Medium-Resolution Spectrometer (MRS). The MRS provides high-quality integral-field spectral data in the mid-infrared (IR) wavelengths from 4.9 to 18 um. This dataset serves as a testbed for applying cross-correlation techniques to characterize exoplanet atmospheres. We implement the so-called molecular mapping approach, which consists of performing a spectral cross-correlation between each spectral pixel and atmospheric model templates. We compare these results with those obtained from cross-correlation of the extracted spectrum. Using a self-consistent Exo-REM atmospheric model grid, we constrain the temperature, surface gravity, C/O ratio, and metallicity, finding values consistent with those obtained from other analysis methods. We detect CO (S/N $\sim$ 25) and H2O (S/N $\sim$ 76), with tentative detections of NH3 and CH4 (S/N$\sim$ 3). We test cross-correlation to measure trace-species abundances and isotopic ratios. We measure a volume mixing ratio of [NH3] =-5.73^{+0.15}_{-0.14} and an isotopic ratio $^{12}\mathrm{C}/^{13}\mathrm{C}=77.8^{+13}_{-10}$, both consistent with free-chemistry retrievals. The derived NH3 volume mixing ratio, combined with the measured temperature and radius, is consistent with VHS 1256 b having a mass above the deuterium-burning limit. These results demonstrate the diagnostic power of mid-IR spectroscopy and highlight cross-correlation as a robust method for characterizing directly imaged exoplanets, even in future higher-contrast regimes where spectral extraction becomes challenging. Future MIRI MRS observations across a wider range of temperatures and masses will further expand our understanding of planetary atmospheric chemistry.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2026

Worlds Next Door. IV. Mapping the Late Stages of Giant Planet Evolution with a Precise Dynamical Mass and Luminosity for $\epsilon$ Ind Ab

We present new JWST/NIRCam 4-5 $\mu$m (F410M, F430M) and JWST/MIRI 18-25 $\mu$m (F1800W, F2100W, F2550W) imaging detections of the nearby (3.6 pc) cold (275 K) gas giant exoplanet $\epsilon$ Ind Ab. The F2550W detection of $\epsilon$ Ind Ab constitutes the longest wavelength image of an exoplanet acquired to date. Combining three decades of radial velocity monitoring, Gaia-Hipparcos absolute astrometry, and relative astrometry from direct imaging (including the new NIRCam astrometry), we conduct a comprehensive re-analysis of $\epsilon$ Ind Ab's orbit and obtain a dynamical mass $M_{\rm Ab} = 6.5^{+0.7}_{-0.6}\;M_{\rm Jup}$. Using $\epsilon$ Ind Ab's NIRCam and MIRI photometry, we assemble the first 4-25 $\mu$m spectral energy distribution (SED) of a cold gas giant outside the Solar System. The NIRCam photometry supports a metal-enriched atmosphere for $\epsilon$ Ind Ab based on analysis with atmospheric model grids, consistent with predictions from the giant planet mass-metallicity relation. While the current data do not provide definitive evidence for or against the presence of water ice clouds, we tentatively find that the H$_2$O vapor absorption-dominated F2550W photometry is systematically brighter ($>1\sigma$, but $<2\sigma$) than predictions from cloud-free/rainout chemistry models and better explained by a cloudy model. We calculate a bolometric luminosity of $\log L_{\rm bol}/L_\odot = -7.23 \pm 0.03$ dex by directly integrating $\epsilon$ Ind Ab's SED. Combining this with the planet's dynamical mass and age ($3.5 \pm 1.0$ Gyr), we demonstrate excellent agreement with evolutionary model predictions in a new regime of low luminosities, low masses, and old ages. Our results establish $\epsilon$ Ind Ab as a benchmark system for planetary evolution studies and set the stage for the detailed atmospheric characterization of this temperate extrasolar world.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2025

JWST/NIRSpec Detects Warm CO Emission in the Terrestrial-Planet Zone of HD 131488

We have obtained a high-resolution, JWST NIRSpec $2.87$ -- $5.14$ $\mu$m spectrum of the debris disk around HD 131488. We discover CO fundamental emission indicating the presence of warm fluorescent gas within $\sim10$ AU of the star. The large discrepancy in CO's vibrational and rotational temperature indicates that CO is out of thermal equilibrium and is excited with UV fluorescence. Our UV fluorescence model gives a best fit of $1150\,$K with an effective temperature of $450$, $332$, and $125\,$K for the warm CO gas kinetic temperature within $0.5$, $1$, and $10\,$AU to the star and a gas vibrational temperature of $8800\,$K. The newly discovered warm CO gas population likely resides between sub-AU scales and $\sim\,10\,$AU, interior to the cold CO reservoir detected beyond $35\,$AU with HST STIS and ALMA. The discovery of warm, fluorescent gas in a debris disk is the first such detection ever made. The detection of warm CO raises the possibility of unseen molecules (H$_2$O, H$_2$, etc) as collisional partners to excite the warm gas. We estimated a lower mass limit for CO of $1.25\times 10^{-7}\text{M}_{\oplus}$, which is $10^{-5}$ of the cold CO mass detected with ALMA and HST. We demonstrate that UV fluorescence emerges as a promising avenue for detecting tenuous gas at $10^{-7}$ Earth-mass level in debris disks with JWST.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2025

Direct Spectroscopy of 51 Eridani b with JWST NIRSpec

We present high-contrast direct spectroscopy of the low-mass, cool exoplanet 51 Eridani b (2-4 M$_\textrm{Jup}$, $\sim$750 K) using JWST / NIRSpec in a fixed-slit configuration (F290LP / G395H, $3-5\,\mu$m, R$\sim$2,700). A cross correlation analysis between the continuum-subtracted data and atmospheric forward models indicates a detection of molecular signals of planetary origin at $4.8\sigma$ at the expected position and velocity of the planet. The detection of the planetary signal is driven primarily by molecular features from methane and carbon monoxide, providing the first direct confirmation of these two molecules coexisting in chemical disequilibrium in the atmosphere of 51 Eridani b. A new comprehensive atmospheric model analysis shows consistency between the ground-based IFU spectroscopy and the NIRSpec data, with the best-fit model parameters: $T_\mathrm{eff}$ = 800$^{+21.5}_{-55.5}$ K, $\log g$ = 3.75$^{+0.09}_{-0.37}$, $[\mathrm{M}/\mathrm{H}]$ = 0.7$^{+0.07}_{-0.21}$, $\textrm{C}/\textrm{O}$ = 0.458$^{+0.08}_{-0.09}$, $\log K_\mathrm{zz}$ = 3$^{+0.47}_{-0.73}$, $R_\mathrm{P}$ = 1.36$^{+0.07}_{-0.03}$ $R_\mathrm{Jup}$, $f_\mathrm{hole}$ = 0.3$^{+0.10}_{-0.07}$, and the NIRSpec errorbar inflation parameter: $\hat{e}$ = 1.74$^{+0.02}_{-0.03}$. We conclude with a discussion on the lessons learned between the fixed slit and IFU-based high contrast spectroscopic methods from our observing program, including some possibilities to improve the analysis method.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2025

JWST-TST High Contrast: Medium-resolution spectroscopy reveals a carbon-rich circumplanetary disk around the young accreting exoplanet Delorme 1 AB b

Young accreting planetary-mass objects are thought to draw material from a circumplanetary disk (CPD) composed of gas and dust. While the gas within the disk is expected to disperse within the first million years, strong accretion has nonetheless been detected in older systems, including the 30--45 Myr-old planetary-mass companion Delorme 1 AB b. We conducted spectroscopic observations with JWST/MIRI to investigate the presence of circumplanetary material around this young, accreting planet, and to characterize the planet's atmospheric properties and composition. We perform forward modeling using atmospheric models to characterize the planet's atmosphere. Beyond 10 microns, the SED becomes dominated by this CPD rather than the planet itself. We detect strong emission from HCN and C$_2$H$_2$, while no O-bearing species are observed in the CPD spectrum, suggesting the gas in the CPD has an elevated C/O. We also identify spatially extended H$_2$ emission around the planet, tracing warm gas, with indications that it may be at a higher temperature than the non-extended component. The mid-infrared spectrum of the planetary-mass companion Delorme 1 AB b reveals the first detection of bright C-bearing species in a CPD, together with an outflow traced by H$_2$ extended emission, that could be interpreted as a disk wind. The hot dust continuum emission suggests an inner cavity in the CPD. The presence of warm gas in the CPD provides constraints on the disk's chemical composition and physical conditions, opening up new avenues for disk studies. The study of these long-lived "Peter Pan" disks will enhance our understanding of how accretion persists in evolved low-mass systems, shedding light on their formation, longevity, and evolutionary pathways in planetary systems.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2025

JWST-TST DREAMS: The Nightside Emission and Chemistry of WASP-17b

Theoretical studies have suggested using planetary infrared excess (PIE) to detect and characterize the thermal emission of transiting and non-transiting exoplanets, however the PIE technique requires empirical validation. Here we apply the PIE technique to a combination of JWST NIRSpec G395H transit and eclipse measurements of WASP-17b, a hot Jupiter orbiting an F-type star, obtained consecutively (0.5 phase or 1.8 days apart) as part of the JWST-TST program to perform Deep Reconnaissance of Exoplanet Atmospheres through Multi-instrument Spectroscopy (DREAMS). Using the in-eclipse measured stellar spectrum to circumvent the need for ultra-precise stellar models, we extract the first JWST nightside emission spectrum of WASP-17b using only transit and eclipse data thereby performing a controlled test of the PIE technique. From the WASP-17b nightside spectrum, we measure a nightside equilibrium temperature of $1005 \pm 256$ K and find tentative evidence for nightside SO2 absorption ($\ln B = 1.45$, $2.3\sigma$). In context with the dayside, the temperature of the nightside is consistent with (1) previous eclipse mapping findings that suggest relatively inefficient day-night heat transport, and (2) a non-zero bond albedo of $0.42^{+0.06}_{-0.10}$. SO2 on the nightside, if confirmed, would represent the first direct evidence for transport-induced chemistry, matching previous model predictions, and opening a new door into the 3D nature of giant exoplanets. Our results suggest that PIE is feasible with JWST/NIRSpec for two epochs separated in time by significantly less than the rotation period of the host star.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2025

JWST-TST DREAMS: Secondary Atmosphere Constraints for the Habitable Zone Planet TRAPPIST-1 e

The TRAPPIST-1 system offers one of the best opportunities to characterize temperate terrestrial planets beyond our own solar system. Within the TRAPPIST-1 system, planet e stands out as highly likely to sustain surface liquid water if it possesses an atmosphere. Recently, we reported the first JWST/NIRSpec PRISM transmission spectra of TRAPPIST-1 e, revealing significant stellar contamination, which varied between the four visits. Here, we assess the range of planetary atmospheres consistent with our transmission spectrum. We explore a wide range of atmospheric scenarios via a hierarchy of forward modeling and retrievals. We do not obtain strong evidence for or against an atmosphere. Our results weakly disfavor CO$_2$-rich atmospheres for pressures corresponding to the surface of Venus and Mars and the cloud tops of Venus at 2$\sigma$. We exclude H$_2$-rich atmospheres containing CO$_2$ and CH$_4$ in agreement with past work, but find that higher mean molecular weight, N$_2$-rich atmospheres with trace CO$_2$ and CH$_4$ are permitted by the data. Both a bare rock and N$_2$-rich atmospheric scenario provide adequate fits to the data, but do not fully explain all features, which may be due to either uncorrected stellar contamination or atmospheric signals. Ongoing JWST observations of TRAPPIST-1 e, exploiting consecutive transits with TRAPPIST-1 b, will offer stronger constraints via a more effective stellar contamination correction. The present work is part of the JWST Telescope Scientist Team (JWST-TST) Guaranteed Time Observations, which is performing a Deep Reconnaissance of Exoplanet Atmospheres through Multi-instrument Spectroscopy (DREAMS).

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2025

Silicate clouds and a circumplanetary disk in the YSES-1 exoplanet system

Young exoplanets provide a critical link between understanding planet formation and atmospheric evolution. Direct imaging spectroscopy allows us to infer the properties of young, wide orbit, giant planets with high signal-to-noise. This allows us to compare this young population to exoplanets characterized with transmission spectroscopy, which has indirectly revealed the presence of clouds, photochemistry, and a diversity of atmospheric compositions. Direct detections have also been made for brown dwarfs, but direct studies of young giant planets in the mid-infrared were not possible prior to JWST. With two exoplanets around a solar type star, the YSES-1 system is an ideal laboratory for studying this early phase of exoplanet evolution. We report the first direct observations of silicate clouds in the atmosphere of the exoplanet YSES-1 c through its 9-11 micron absorption feature, and the first circumplanetary disk silicate emission around its sibling planet, YSES-1 b. The clouds of YSES-1 c are composed of either amorphous iron-enriched pyroxene or a combination of amorphous MgSiO3 and Mg2SiO4, with particle sizes of less than or equal to 0.1 micron at 1 millibar of pressure. We attribute the emission from the disk around YSES-1 b to be from submicron olivine dust grains, which may have formed through collisions of planet-forming bodies in the disk.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2024

JWST-TST DREAMS: A Precise Water Abundance for Hot Jupiter WASP-17b from the NIRISS SOSS Transmission Spectrum

Water has proven to be ubiquitously detected in near-infrared (NIR) transmission spectroscopy observations of hot Jupiter atmospheres, including WASP-17b. However, previous analyses of WASP-17b's atmosphere based upon Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and Spitzer data could not constrain the water abundance, finding that sub-solar, super-solar and bimodal posterior distributions were all statistically valid. In this work, we observe one transit of the hot Jupiter WASP-17b using JWST's Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph Single Object Slitless Spectroscopy (NIRISS SOSS) mode. We analyze our data using three independent data analysis pipelines, finding excellent agreement between results. Our transmission spectrum shows multiple H$_2$O absorption features and a flatter slope towards the optical than seen in previous HST observations. We analyze our spectrum using both PICASO+Virga forward models and free retrievals. POSEIDON retrievals provide a well-constrained super-solar $\log$(H$_2$O) abundance (-2.96$^{+0.31}_{-0.24}$), breaking the degeneracy from the previous HST/Spitzer analysis. We verify our POSEIDON results with petitRADTRANS retrievals. Additionally, we constrain the abundance of $\log$(H$^-$), -10.19$^{+0.30}_{-0.23}$, finding that our model including H$^-$ is preferred over our model without H$^-$ to 5.1 $\sigma$. Furthermore, we constrain the $\log$(K) abundance (-8.07$^{+0.58}_{-0.52}$) in WASP-17b's atmosphere for the first time using space-based observations. Our abundance constraints demonstrate the power of NIRISS SOSS's increased resolution, precision, and wavelength range to improve upon previous NIR space-based results. This work is part of a series of studies by our JWST Telescope Scientist Team (JWST-TST), in which we use Guaranteed Time Observations to perform Deep Reconnaissance of Exoplanet Atmospheres through Multi-instrument Spectroscopy (DREAMS).

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2024

JWST-TST DREAMS: Non-Uniform Dayside Emission for WASP-17b from MIRI/LRS

We present the first spectroscopic characterisation of the dayside atmosphere of WASP-17b in the mid-infrared using a single JWST MIRI/LRS eclipse observation. From forward-model fits to the 5-12 $\mu$m emission spectrum, we tightly constrain the heat redistribution factor of WASP-17b to be 0.92$\pm$0.02 at the pressures probed by this data, indicative of inefficient global heat redistribution. We also marginally detect a supersolar abundance of water, consistent with previous findings for WASP-17b, but note our weak constraints on this parameter. These results reflect the thermodynamically rich but chemically poor information content of MIRI/LRS emission data for high-temperature hot Jupiters. Using the eclipse mapping method, which utilises the signals that the spatial emission profile of an exoplanet imprints on the eclipse light curve during ingress/egress due to its partial occultation by the host star, we also construct the first eclipse map of WASP-17b, allowing us to diagnose its multidimensional atmospheric dynamics for the first time. We find a day-night temperature contrast of order 1000 K at the pressures probed by this data, consistent with our derived heat redistribution factor, along with an eastward longitudinal hotspot offset of $18.7^{+11.1\deg}_{-3.8}$, indicative of the presence of an equatorial jet induced by day-night thermal forcing being the dominant redistributor of heat from the substellar point. These dynamics are consistent with general circulation model predictions for WASP-17b. This work is part of a series of studies by the JWST Telescope Scientist Team (JWST-TST), in which we use Guaranteed Time Observations to perform Deep Reconnaissance of Exoplanet Atmospheres through Multi-instrument Spectroscopy (DREAMS).

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2024

MIRI MRS Observations of Beta Pictoris II. The Spectroscopic Case for a Recent Giant Collision

Modeling observations of the archetypal debris disk around $\beta$ Pic, obtained in 2023 January with the MIRI MRS on board JWST, reveals significant differences compared with that obtained with the IRS on board Spitzer. The bright 5 - 15 $\mu$m continuum excess modeled using a $\sim$600 K black body has disappeared. The previously prominent 18 and 23 $\mu$m crystalline forsterite emission features, arising from cold dust ($\sim$100 K) in the Rayleigh limit, have disappeared and been replaced by very weak features arising from the hotter 500 K dust population. Finally, the shape of the 10 $\mu$m silicate feature has changed, consistent with a shift in the temperature of the warm dust population from $\sim$300 K to $\sim$500 K and an increase in the crystalline fraction of the warm, silicate dust. Stellar radiation pressure may have blown both the hot and the cold crystalline dust particles observed in the Spitzer spectra out of the planetary system during the intervening 20 years between the Spitzer and JWST observations. These results indicate that the $\beta$ Pic system has a dynamic circumstellar environment, and that periods of enhanced collisions can create large clouds of dust that sweep through the planetary system.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2024

JWST Observations Reject Unrecognized Crowding of Cepheid Photometry as an Explanation for the Hubble Tension at 8 sigma Confidence

We present high-definition observations with the James Webb Space Telescope of >1000 Cepheids in a geometric anchor of the distance ladder, NGC4258, and in 5 hosts of 8 SNe~Ia, a far greater sample than previous studies with JWST. These galaxies individually contain the largest samples of Cepheids, an average of >150 each, producing the strongest statistical comparison to those previously measured with the Hubble Space Telescope in the NIR. They also span the distance range of those used to determine the Hubble constant with HST, allowing us to search for a distance-dependent bias in HST measurements. The superior resolution of JWST negates crowding noise, the largest source of variance in the NIR Cepheid Period-Luminosity relations (Leavitt laws) measured with HST. Together with the use of two-epochs to constrain Cepheid phases and three filters to remove reddening, we reduce the dispersion in the Cepheid PL relations by a factor of 2.5. We find no significant difference in the mean distance measurements determined from HST and JWST, with a formal difference of -0.01+/-0.03 mag. This result is independent of zeropoints and analysis variants including metallicity dependence, local crowding, choice of filters, and relation slope. We can reject the hypothesis of unrecognized crowding of Cepheid photometry from HST that grows with distance as the cause of the ``Hubble Tension'' at 8.2 sigma, i.e., greater confidence than that of the Hubble Tension itself. We conclude that errors in photometric measurements of Cepheids across the distance ladder do not significantly contribute to the Tension.

astro-ph.CO↗