The dark world: A tale of WASP-43b in reflected light with HST WFC3/UVIS

Jonathan Fraine; L. C. Mayorga; Kevin B. Stevenson; Nikole K. Lewis; Tiffany Kataria; Jacob L. Bean; Giovanni Bruno; Jonathan J. Fortney; Laura Kreidberg; Caroline V. Morley; Nelly C. Mouawad; Kamen O. Todorov; Vivien Parmentier; Hannah Wakeford; Y. Katherina Feng; Brian M. Kilpatrick; Michael R. Line

doi:10.3847/1538-3881/abe8d6

The dark world: A tale of WASP-43b in reflected light with HST WFC3/UVIS

Jonathan Fraine, L. C. Mayorga, Kevin B. Stevenson, Nikole K. Lewis, Tiffany Kataria, Jacob L. Bean, Giovanni Bruno, Jonathan J. Fortney, Laura Kreidberg, Caroline V. Morley, Nelly C. Mouawad, Kamen O. Todorov, Vivien Parmentier, Hannah Wakeford, Y. Katherina Feng, Brian M. Kilpatrick, Michael R. Line

Earth and Space Exploration, School of (SESE)

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

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

Optical reflected light eclipse observations provide a direct probe of exoplanet scattering properties, such as from aerosols. We present here the photometric reflected light observations of WASP-43b using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3/UVIS instrument with the F350LP filter (346–822 nm) encompassing the entire optical band. This is the first reflected light photometric eclipse using UVIS in scanning mode; as such, we further detail our scanning extraction and analysis pipeline Arctor. Our HST WFC3/UVIS eclipse light curve for WASP-43b derived a 3σ upper limit of 67 ppm on the eclipse depth, which implies that WASP-43b has a very dark dayside atmosphere. With our atmospheric modeling campaign, we compared our reflected light constraints with predictions from global circulation and cloud models benchmarked with HST and Spitzer observations of WASP-43b. We infer that we do not detect clouds on the dayside within the pressure levels probed by HST WFC3/UVIS with the F350LP filter (P > 1 bar). This is consistent with the general circulation model predictions based on previous WASP-43b observations. Dayside emission spectroscopy results from WASP-43b with HST and Spitzer observations are likely to not be significantly affected by contributions from cloud particles.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	269
Journal	Astronomical Journal
Volume	161
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/abe8d6
State	Published - Jun 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.3847/1538-3881/abe8d6

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Fraine, J., Mayorga, L. C., Stevenson, K. B., Lewis, N. K., Kataria, T., Bean, J. L., Bruno, G., Fortney, J. J., Kreidberg, L., Morley, C. V., Mouawad, N. C., Todorov, K. O., Parmentier, V., Wakeford, H., Katherina Feng, Y., Kilpatrick, B. M., & Line, M. R. (2021). The dark world: A tale of WASP-43b in reflected light with HST WFC3/UVIS. Astronomical Journal, 161(6), Article 269. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/abe8d6

Fraine, J, Mayorga, LC, Stevenson, KB, Lewis, NK, Kataria, T, Bean, JL, Bruno, G, Fortney, JJ, Kreidberg, L, Morley, CV, Mouawad, NC, Todorov, KO, Parmentier, V, Wakeford, H, Katherina Feng, Y, Kilpatrick, BM & Line, MR 2021, 'The dark world: A tale of WASP-43b in reflected light with HST WFC3/UVIS', Astronomical Journal, vol. 161, no. 6, 269. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/abe8d6

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title = "The dark world: A tale of WASP-43b in reflected light with HST WFC3/UVIS",

abstract = "Optical reflected light eclipse observations provide a direct probe of exoplanet scattering properties, such as from aerosols. We present here the photometric reflected light observations of WASP-43b using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3/UVIS instrument with the F350LP filter (346–822 nm) encompassing the entire optical band. This is the first reflected light photometric eclipse using UVIS in scanning mode; as such, we further detail our scanning extraction and analysis pipeline Arctor. Our HST WFC3/UVIS eclipse light curve for WASP-43b derived a 3σ upper limit of 67 ppm on the eclipse depth, which implies that WASP-43b has a very dark dayside atmosphere. With our atmospheric modeling campaign, we compared our reflected light constraints with predictions from global circulation and cloud models benchmarked with HST and Spitzer observations of WASP-43b. We infer that we do not detect clouds on the dayside within the pressure levels probed by HST WFC3/UVIS with the F350LP filter (P > 1 bar). This is consistent with the general circulation model predictions based on previous WASP-43b observations. Dayside emission spectroscopy results from WASP-43b with HST and Spitzer observations are likely to not be significantly affected by contributions from cloud particles.",

author = "Jonathan Fraine and Mayorga, {L. C.} and Stevenson, {Kevin B.} and Lewis, {Nikole K.} and Tiffany Kataria and Bean, {Jacob L.} and Giovanni Bruno and Fortney, {Jonathan J.} and Laura Kreidberg and Morley, {Caroline V.} and Mouawad, {Nelly C.} and Todorov, {Kamen O.} and Vivien Parmentier and Hannah Wakeford and {Katherina Feng}, Y. and Kilpatrick, {Brian M.} and Line, {Michael R.}",

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doi = "10.3847/1538-3881/abe8d6",

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T2 - A tale of WASP-43b in reflected light with HST WFC3/UVIS

AU - Fraine, Jonathan

AU - Mayorga, L. C.

AU - Stevenson, Kevin B.

AU - Lewis, Nikole K.

AU - Kataria, Tiffany

AU - Bean, Jacob L.

AU - Bruno, Giovanni

AU - Fortney, Jonathan J.

AU - Kreidberg, Laura

AU - Morley, Caroline V.

AU - Mouawad, Nelly C.

AU - Todorov, Kamen O.

AU - Parmentier, Vivien

AU - Wakeford, Hannah

AU - Katherina Feng, Y.

AU - Kilpatrick, Brian M.

AU - Line, Michael R.

PY - 2021/6

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N2 - Optical reflected light eclipse observations provide a direct probe of exoplanet scattering properties, such as from aerosols. We present here the photometric reflected light observations of WASP-43b using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3/UVIS instrument with the F350LP filter (346–822 nm) encompassing the entire optical band. This is the first reflected light photometric eclipse using UVIS in scanning mode; as such, we further detail our scanning extraction and analysis pipeline Arctor. Our HST WFC3/UVIS eclipse light curve for WASP-43b derived a 3σ upper limit of 67 ppm on the eclipse depth, which implies that WASP-43b has a very dark dayside atmosphere. With our atmospheric modeling campaign, we compared our reflected light constraints with predictions from global circulation and cloud models benchmarked with HST and Spitzer observations of WASP-43b. We infer that we do not detect clouds on the dayside within the pressure levels probed by HST WFC3/UVIS with the F350LP filter (P > 1 bar). This is consistent with the general circulation model predictions based on previous WASP-43b observations. Dayside emission spectroscopy results from WASP-43b with HST and Spitzer observations are likely to not be significantly affected by contributions from cloud particles.

AB - Optical reflected light eclipse observations provide a direct probe of exoplanet scattering properties, such as from aerosols. We present here the photometric reflected light observations of WASP-43b using the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) WFC3/UVIS instrument with the F350LP filter (346–822 nm) encompassing the entire optical band. This is the first reflected light photometric eclipse using UVIS in scanning mode; as such, we further detail our scanning extraction and analysis pipeline Arctor. Our HST WFC3/UVIS eclipse light curve for WASP-43b derived a 3σ upper limit of 67 ppm on the eclipse depth, which implies that WASP-43b has a very dark dayside atmosphere. With our atmospheric modeling campaign, we compared our reflected light constraints with predictions from global circulation and cloud models benchmarked with HST and Spitzer observations of WASP-43b. We infer that we do not detect clouds on the dayside within the pressure levels probed by HST WFC3/UVIS with the F350LP filter (P > 1 bar). This is consistent with the general circulation model predictions based on previous WASP-43b observations. Dayside emission spectroscopy results from WASP-43b with HST and Spitzer observations are likely to not be significantly affected by contributions from cloud particles.

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The dark world: A tale of WASP-43b in reflected light with HST WFC3/UVIS

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HST WFC3/UVIS normalized light curve of WASP-43

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The dark world: A tale of WASP-43b in reflected light with HST WFC3/UVIS

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HST WFC3/UVIS normalized light curve of WASP-43

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