A near-infrared transmission spectrum for the warm saturn HAT-P-12b

Michael R. Line; Heather Knutson; Drake Deming; Ashlee Wilkins; Jean Michel Desert

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/778/2/183

A near-infrared transmission spectrum for the warm saturn HAT-P-12b

Michael R. Line, Heather Knutson, Drake Deming, Ashlee Wilkins, Jean Michel Desert

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

72 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera-3 (WFC3) transmission spectrum for the transiting exoplanet HAT-P-12b. This warm (1000 K) sub-Saturn-mass planet has a smaller mass and a lower temperature than the hot Jupiters that have been studied so far. We find that the planet's measured transmission spectrum lacks the expected water absorption feature for a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere and is instead best described by a model with high-altitude clouds. Using a frequentist hypothesis testing procedure, we can rule out a hydrogen-dominated cloud-free atmosphere to 4.9σ. When combined with other recent WFC3 studies, our observations suggest that clouds may be common in exoplanetary atmospheres.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	183
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	778
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/778/2/183
State	Published - Dec 1 2013
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

planets and satellites: atmospheres
planets and satellites: individual (HAT-P-12b)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1088/0004-637X/778/2/183

Cite this

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title = "A near-infrared transmission spectrum for the warm saturn HAT-P-12b",

abstract = "We present a Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera-3 (WFC3) transmission spectrum for the transiting exoplanet HAT-P-12b. This warm (1000 K) sub-Saturn-mass planet has a smaller mass and a lower temperature than the hot Jupiters that have been studied so far. We find that the planet's measured transmission spectrum lacks the expected water absorption feature for a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere and is instead best described by a model with high-altitude clouds. Using a frequentist hypothesis testing procedure, we can rule out a hydrogen-dominated cloud-free atmosphere to 4.9σ. When combined with other recent WFC3 studies, our observations suggest that clouds may be common in exoplanetary atmospheres.",

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T1 - A near-infrared transmission spectrum for the warm saturn HAT-P-12b

AU - Line, Michael R.

AU - Knutson, Heather

AU - Deming, Drake

AU - Wilkins, Ashlee

AU - Desert, Jean Michel

PY - 2013/12/1

Y1 - 2013/12/1

N2 - We present a Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera-3 (WFC3) transmission spectrum for the transiting exoplanet HAT-P-12b. This warm (1000 K) sub-Saturn-mass planet has a smaller mass and a lower temperature than the hot Jupiters that have been studied so far. We find that the planet's measured transmission spectrum lacks the expected water absorption feature for a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere and is instead best described by a model with high-altitude clouds. Using a frequentist hypothesis testing procedure, we can rule out a hydrogen-dominated cloud-free atmosphere to 4.9σ. When combined with other recent WFC3 studies, our observations suggest that clouds may be common in exoplanetary atmospheres.

AB - We present a Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera-3 (WFC3) transmission spectrum for the transiting exoplanet HAT-P-12b. This warm (1000 K) sub-Saturn-mass planet has a smaller mass and a lower temperature than the hot Jupiters that have been studied so far. We find that the planet's measured transmission spectrum lacks the expected water absorption feature for a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere and is instead best described by a model with high-altitude clouds. Using a frequentist hypothesis testing procedure, we can rule out a hydrogen-dominated cloud-free atmosphere to 4.9σ. When combined with other recent WFC3 studies, our observations suggest that clouds may be common in exoplanetary atmospheres.

KW - planets and satellites: atmospheres

KW - planets and satellites: individual (HAT-P-12b)

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DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/778/2/183

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A near-infrared transmission spectrum for the warm saturn HAT-P-12b

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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