Do Carmo Fialho Mendonça, João Manuel; Malik, Matej; Demory, Brice-Olivier; Heng, Kevin (2018). Revisiting the Phase Curves of WASP-43b: Confronting Re-analyzed Spitzer Data with Cloudy Atmospheres. The astronomical journal, 155(4), p. 150. American Astronomical Society 10.3847/1538-3881/aaaebc
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Recently acquired Hubble and Spitzer phase curves of the short-period hot Jupiter WASP-43b make it an ideal target for confronting theory with data. On the observational front, we re-analyze the 3.6 and 4.5 μm Spitzer phase curves and demonstrate that our improved analysis better removes residual red noise due to intra-pixel sensitivity, which leads to greater fluxes emanating from the nightside of WASP-43b, thus reducing the tension between theory and data. On the theoretical front, we construct cloud-free and cloudy atmospheres of WASP-43b using our Global Circulation Model (GCM), THOR, which solves the non-hydrostatic Euler equations (compared to GCMs that typically solve the hydrostatic primitive equations). The cloud-free atmosphere produces a reasonable fit to the dayside emission spectrum. The multi-phase emission spectra constrain the cloud deck to be confined to the nightside and have a finite cloud-top pressure. The multi-wavelength phase curves are naturally consistent with our cloudy atmospheres, except for the 4.5 μm phase curve, which requires the presence of enhanced carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of WASP-43b. Multi-phase emission spectra at higher spectral resolution, as may be obtained using the James Webb Space Telescope, and a reflected-light phase curve at visible wavelengths would further constrain the properties of clouds in WASP-43b.
Item Type: |
Journal Article (Original Article) |
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Division/Institute: |
10 Strategic Research Centers > Center for Space and Habitability (CSH) 08 Faculty of Science > Physics Institute > Space Research and Planetary Sciences 08 Faculty of Science > Physics Institute 08 Faculty of Science > Physics Institute > NCCR PlanetS |
UniBE Contributor: |
Do Carmo Fialho Mendonça, João Manuel, Malik, Matej, Demory, Brice-Olivier Denys, Heng, Kevin |
Subjects: |
500 Science > 520 Astronomy 500 Science > 530 Physics |
ISSN: |
0004-6256 |
Publisher: |
American Astronomical Society |
Language: |
English |
Submitter: |
Danielle Zemp |
Date Deposited: |
03 Jun 2019 17:04 |
Last Modified: |
02 Mar 2023 23:31 |
Publisher DOI: |
10.3847/1538-3881/aaaebc |
BORIS DOI: |
10.7892/boris.126849 |
URI: |
https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/126849 |
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