High-resolution Transit Spectroscopy of Warm Saturns
Journal Article
·
· The Astronomical Journal (Online)
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada)
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853 (United States)
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)
- Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)
We present high-resolution optical transmission spectroscopy of two sub-Saturn mass transiting exoplanets, HAT-P-12b and WASP-69b. With relatively low densities and high atmospheric scale heights, these planets are particularly well-suited to characterization through transit spectroscopy, and serve as ideal candidates for extending previously tested methods to lower planetary masses. Using a single transit for each planet, we take advantage of the Doppler cross-correlation technique to search for sodium, potassium, and water absorption features. Our analysis reveals a likely (3.2σ) detection of sodium absorption features in the atmosphere of HAT-P-12b, and enables us to place constraints on the presence of alkaline and molecular species in the atmospheres of both planets. With our results, we highlight the efficacy of ground-based campaigns for characterizing exoplanetary atmospheres and pave the way for future analyses of low-mass planets.
- OSTI ID:
- 22897293
- Journal Information:
- The Astronomical Journal (Online), Journal Name: The Astronomical Journal (Online) Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 157; ISSN 1538-3881
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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