Jens Hoeijmakers (Lund University): Atmospheres of ultra-hot exoplanets: Metals and chemistry on WASP-121b

Thursday 2 Dec 2021, 14:00 → 15:00 Europe/Stockholm

https://uu-se.zoom.us/j/62091586806

Title: Atmospheres of ultra-hot exoplanets: Metals and chemistry on WASP-121b
Speaker: Jens Hoeijmakers
Affiliation: Lund University
Time: Thursday 2 December, 1400-1500
Location: 95110Å and also online at https://uu-se.zoom.us/j/62091586806

Abstract:

Ultra-hot Jupiters form a new class of exoplanets that tend to orbit hot early type stars in short periods. The hottest of these may be heated to temperatures of far over 2,000K on their day-sides. The extreme temperature dissociates all but the most strongly bound molecules (CO, water, metal oxides and hydrates) and a significant fraction of the atomic gas may be thermally ionised. Under these circumstances, line absorption lines by metals are dominant sources of opacity. We have carried out observations of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-121 b, revealing a rich spectrum of various metals, including iron and vanadium, but with a notable absence of titanium, which may be due to condensation processes. In this talk I will present our recent observations and demonstrate the power of high-resolution ground-based spectrographs in helping us understand the chemistries of exoplanets.