Astronomy:WASP-76b

From HandWiki
WASP-76b
Artistic image of WASP-76b, showing its possible glory effect
Discovery
Discovered byR.G. West et al. (SuperWASP)[1]
Discovery dateOctober 21, 2013
Transit (including secondary eclipses)
Orbital characteristics
0.03277±0.00078 astronomical unit|AU[2]
Eccentricity0.00087±0.00031[3]
Orbital period1.80988132(12) days[3]
Inclination87.88°±0.16°[3]
StarWASP-76
Physical characteristics
Mean radius1.842±0.024 RJ[3]
Mass0.921±0.032 MJ[2]
Physics2,189±36 K[3]

WASP-76b is an exoplanet classified as a Hot Jupiter. It is located in the constellation Pisces and orbits its host star, WASP-76, at a distance of approximately 0.033 AU (4.9 million km; 3.1 million mi). Its orbital period is approximately 1.8 days, and its mass is about 0.92 times that of Jupiter.[4][5][6] The discovery of WASP-76b took place on October 21, 2013; as of 2022, it is the only known planet in the WASP-76 system. The equilibrium temperature of WASP-76b is estimated to be around 2,190 K (1,920 °C; 3,480 °F), However, the measured daytime temperature is higher, reaching approximately 2,500 ± 200 K (2,227 ± 200 °C; 4,040 ± 360 °F).[7]

Atmospheric composition

Data collected from the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes have provided evidence of titanium oxide and small amounts of water within the planet's atmosphere.[8] Further analysis using higher-resolution spectra has revealed the presence of ionized elements such as lithium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, potassium, and iron.[9] The existence of calcium was confirmed by the Gemini North Observatory in 2021;[10][11][12] in 2022, barium was also detected.[13]

The atmosphere of WASP-76b is characterized as cloudy, predominantly grey, and exhibits significant thermal incandescence.[14]

In April 2024, it was suggested that a glory effect in the atmosphere of WASP-76b might be responsible for the observed increase in brightness of its eastern terminator zone. If this interpretation could be confirmed, it would become the first extrasolar glory-like phenomenon to be discovered.[15][16]

Iron rain

In March 2020, an initial spectroscopic analysis revealed the presence of neutral iron in the atmosphere of WASP-76b. The conditions required for the vaporization and condensation of neutral iron were determined to be a temperature of 2,400 °C (2,700 K; 4,400 °F) and a lower temperature of 1,400 °C (1,700 K; 2,600 °F) for condensation. Under these specific temperature conditions, neutral iron could potentially precipitate like liquid rain.[17]

In May 2020, the Hubble Space Telescope discovered that the previous spectrum of WASP-76b had been distorted by the light from a companion star. Subsequently, an updated atmospheric model was developed using the most recent spectrum data. The revised model indicates the presence of a cloudy hydrogen-helium envelope and suggests the absence of previously reported neutral iron, including "iron rain."[18] Additionally, only upper limits on the presence of titanium and vanadium oxides were detected.[14] By 2021, the controversy surrounding the presence of iron condensation had been resolved by demonstrating that the observed signal may also be due to temperature variations between different parts of the planet. However, existing data is insufficient to definitively distinguish between these two scenarios.[19]

Based on planetary atmospheric circulation models for WASP-76b, it is suggested that dense cloud layers composed of aluminum oxide, neutral iron, or magnesium orthosilicate may form. However, significant condensation of iron on the night side of the planet is not indicated by the available data.[20]

Possible exomoon

It has been speculated that a possible hot evaporating exomoon orbiting around WASP-76b[21] could be consistent with an extrasolar toroidal atmosphere.[22]

See also

References

  1. ↑ West, R. G.; Hellier, C. et al. (January 8, 2016). "Three irradiated and bloated hot Jupiters". Astronomy & Astrophysics 585: A126. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527276. https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2016/01/aa27276-15/aa27276-15.html. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Saha, Suman (August 2023). "Precise Transit Photometry Using TESS: Updated Physical Properties for 28 Exoplanets around Bright Stars" (in en). The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 268 (1): 2. doi:10.3847/1538-4365/acdb6b. ISSN 0067-0049. Bibcode: 2023ApJS..268....2S. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Wang, Weilong; Gu, Shenghong; Wang, Xiaobin; Sun, Leilei; Lee, Byeong-Cheol; Kwok, Chi-Tai; Hui, Ho-Keung; Dou, Jiangpei et al. (June 2025). "Observations and Studies on the Transiting Systems HAT-P-36, XO-2 and WASP-76" (in en). The Astronomical Journal 169 (6): 342. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/add1de. ISSN 0004-6256. Bibcode: 2025AJ....169..342W. 
  4. ↑ "WASP-76 b". Exoplanet Exploration: Planets Beyond our Solar System. NASA. n.d.. https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/1833/wasp-76-b/. 
  5. ↑ Ehrenreich, David; Pepe, Francesco; Osorio, María Rosa Zapatero; Figueira, Pedro; Santos, Nuno C.; Cristiani, Stefano; Ferreira, Bárbara (11 March 2020). "ESO Telescope Observes Exoplanet Where It Rains Iron". European Southern Observatory. https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso2005/. 
  6. ↑ "On a faraway planet, it's cloudy with a chance of liquid iron rain". NBC News. Reuters. March 11, 2020. https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/faraway-planet-it-s-cloudy-chance-liquid-iron-rain-n1156016. 
  7. ↑ Zhou, G.; Bayliss, D. D. R. et al. (December 11, 2015). "Secondary eclipse observations for seven hot-Jupiters from the Anglo-Australian Telescope". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 454 (3): 3002–3019. doi:10.1093/mnras/stv2138. Bibcode: 2015MNRAS.454.3002Z. https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/454/3/3002/1200704?login=false. Retrieved March 21, 2022. 
  8. ↑ Fu, Guangwei; Deming, Drake et al. (August 17, 2021). "The Hubble PanCET Program: Transit and Eclipse Spectroscopy of the Strongly Irradiated Giant Exoplanet WASP-76b". The Astronomical Journal 162 (3): 108. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ac1200. ISSN 0004-6256. Bibcode: 2021AJ....162..108F. 
  9. ↑ Tabernero, H. M.; Osorio, M. R. Zapatero et al. (19 February 2021). "ESPRESSO high-resolution transmission spectroscopy of WASP-76 b". Astronomy & Astrophysics 646: 17. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039511. ISSN 0004-6361. Bibcode: 2021A&A...646A.158T. https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2021/02/aa39511-20/aa39511-20.html. Retrieved May 24, 2022. 
  10. ↑ Casasayas-Barris, N.; Orell-Miquel, J. et al. (27 October 2021). "CARMENES detection of the Ca II infrared triplet and possible evidence of He I in the atmosphere of WASP-76b". Astronomy & Astrophysics 654: 20. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202141669. ISSN 0004-6361. https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2021/10/aa41669-21/aa41669-21.html. Retrieved May 24, 2022. 
  11. ↑ Deibert, Emily K.; de Mooij, Ernst J. W. et al. (September 28, 2021). "Detection of Ionized Calcium in the Atmosphere of the Ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-76b". The Astrophysical Journal Letters 919 (2): L15. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ac2513. ISSN 2041-8205. Bibcode: 2021ApJ...919L..15D. 
  12. ↑ News Staff (October 13, 2022). "Barium Detected in Atmospheres of Two Ultrahot Jupiters". https://www.sci.news/astronomy/exoplanetary-barium-11288.html. 
  13. ↑ Azevedo Silva, T.; Demangeon, O. D. S. et al. (13 October 2022). "Detection of barium in the atmospheres of the ultra-hot gas giants WASP-76b and WASP-121b: Together with new detections of Co and Sr+ on WASP-121b". Astronomy & Astrophysics 666 (L10): 21. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202244489. ISSN 0004-6361. Bibcode: 2022A&A...666L..10A. https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2022/10/aa44489-22/aa44489-22.html. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Edwards, Billy; Changeat, Quentin et al. (June 9, 2020). "ARES I: WASP-76 b, A Tale of Two HST Spectra*". The Astronomical Journal 160 (1): 8. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ab9225. Bibcode: 2020AJ....160....8E. 
  15. ↑ European Space Agency (April 5, 2024). "Astronomers detect potential 'glory effect' on a hellish distant world for the first time". https://phys.org/news/2024-04-astronomers-potential-glory-effect-hellish.html. 
  16. ↑ Strickland, Ashley (19 April 2024). "Scientists spot 'glory effect' on a world beyond our solar system for the first time". CNN. Archived from the original on 19 April 2024. https://archive.today/20240419203336/https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/19/world/rainbow-glory-exoplanet-scn/index.html. Retrieved 20 April 2024. 
  17. ↑ Amos, Jonathan (11 March 2020). "Wasp-76b: The exotic inferno planet where it 'rains iron'". BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51828871. 
  18. ↑ Lothringer, Joshua D.; Fu, Guangwei et al. (July 21, 2020). "UV Exoplanet Transmission Spectral Features as Probes of Metals and Rainout". The Astrophysical Journal 898 (1): L14. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aba265. Bibcode: 2020ApJ...898L..14L. 
  19. ↑ Wardenier, Joost P; Parmentier, Vivien et al. (June 26, 2021). "Decomposing the iron cross-correlation signal of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-76b in transmission using 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 506 (1): 1258–1283. doi:10.1093/mnras/stab1797. ISSN 0035-8711. https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/506/1/1258/6309906?login=false. Retrieved May 24, 2022. 
  20. ↑ Savel, Arjun B.; Kempton, Eliza M.-R. et al. (February 15, 2022). "No Umbrella Needed: Confronting the Hypothesis of Iron Rain on WASP-76b with Post-processed General Circulation Models". The Astrophysical Journal (American Astronomical Society) 926 (1): 85. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac423f. ISSN 0004-637X. Bibcode: 2022ApJ...926...85S. 
  21. ↑ Seidel, J.V.; Ehrenreich, D.; Wyttenbach, A.; Allart, R.; Lendl, M.; Pino, L.; Bourrier, V.; Cegla, H.M. et al. (27 March 2019). "Hot Exoplanet Atmospheres Resolved with Transit Spectroscopy (HEARTS)★ II. A broadened sodium feature on the ultra-hot giant WASP-76b". Astronomy & Astrophysics 623: A166. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201834776. Bibcode: 2019A&A...623A.166S. 
  22. ↑ Johnson, Robert E.; Huggins, Patrick (August 2006). "Toroidal Atmospheres around Extrasolar Planets". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific 118 (846): 1136–1143. doi:10.1086/506183. Bibcode: 2006PASP..118.1136J. 



Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Astronomy:WASP-76b&oldid=3944411"