WASP-76b
WASP-76b is a hot Jupiter exoplanet discovered during 2013 that can be found in the constellation Pisces. It orbits a F-type star BD+01 316 (WASP-76) and has a size 0.92 that of Jupiter's mass.[4][5] In March 2020, it was speculated the temperature on the planet could reach 2,400 °C (2,670 K) on the hot side, hot enough to vaporize neutral iron. If the night side of WASP-76b had temperatures down to at least 1,400 °C (1,670 K), the iron may condense then rain down as hot liquid iron on its surface.[6]
Artistic image of WASP-76b (based on 2020 data) | |
Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | R.G. West et al. (SuperWASP)[1] |
Discovery date | October 21, 2013 |
Transit (including secondary eclipses) | |
Orbital characteristics | |
0.033±0.0005 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0 |
1.809886±0.000001[2] d | |
Star | WASP-76 |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean radius | 1.83±0.06 RJ |
Mass | 0.92±0.03 MJ |
Temperature | 2500±200 K[3] |
The planet equilibrium temperature is 1,920 °C (2,190 K), yet measured dayside temperature is still hotter at 2,227 ± 200 °C (2,500 ± 200 K).[3]
Study shows that WASP-76b seems to be the only planet in its solar system.[7]
In May 2020, it was discovered what the previous spectra of WASP-76b, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, were distorted by the light from a suspected stellar companion. Therefore, updated atmospheric model is cloudy hydrogen-helium envelope, non-detection of alternatively reported neutral iron (including "iron rain"[8]), and only upper limits on oxides of titanium and vanadium.[9] Combination of data from the Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes have allowed to detect titanium oxide and traces of water in atmosphere of WASP-76b though.[10] Later, higher resolution spectrum, has features of ionized Li, Na, Mg, Ca, Mn, K, and Fe, but no ionized Ti, Cr, Ni, or molecular oxides of titanium, vanadium or zirconium were found.[11]
The atmosphere of WASP-76b is cloudy and mostly grey, with a significant amount of thermal incandescence.[9]
References
- West, R. G.; Hellier, C.; Almenara, J.-M.; Anderson, D. R.; Barros, S. C. C.; Bouchy, F.; Brown, D. J. A.; Collier Cameron, A.; Deleuil, M.; Delrez, L.; Doyle, A. P.; Faedi, F.; Fumel, A.; Gillon, M.; Gómez Maqueo Chew, Y.; Hébrard, G.; Jehin, E.; Lendl, M.; Maxted, P. F. L.; Pepe, F.; Pollacco, D.; Queloz, D.; Ségransan, D.; Smalley, B.; Smith, A. M. S.; Southworth, J.; Triaud, A. H. M. J.; Udry, S. (2016). "Three irradiated and bloated hot Jupiters". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 585: A126. arXiv:1310.5607. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527276. S2CID 54746373.
- Planet WASP-76 b at exoplanet.eu
- Zhou, G.; Bayliss, D. D. R.; Kedziora-Chudczer, L.; Tinney, C. G.; Bailey, J.; Salter, G.; Rodriguez, J. (2015). "Secondary eclipse observations for seven hot-Jupiters from the Anglo-Australian Telescope". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 454 (3): 3002–3019. arXiv:1509.04147. Bibcode:2015MNRAS.454.3002Z. doi:10.1093/mnras/stv2138. S2CID 84835437.
- "WASP-76 b". NASA. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
- "ESO Telescope Observes Exoplanet Where It Rains Iron". European Southern Observatory. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
- Jonathan Amos. "WASP-76b: The Exotic Inferno Planet Where it 'Rains Iron'". BBC News. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
- "On a Faraway Planet, it's Cloudy With a Chance of Liquid Iron Rain". NBC News. Retrieved 2020-05-03.
- Lothringer, Joshua D.; Fu, Guangwei; Sing, David K.; Barman, Travis S. (2020). "UV Exoplanet Transmission Spectral Features as Probes of Metals and Rainout". The Astrophysical Journal. 898 (1): L14. arXiv:2005.02528. Bibcode:2020ApJ...898L..14L. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aba265. S2CID 218516764.
- Edwards, Billy; Changeat, Quentin; Baeyens, Robin; Tsiaras, Angelos; Al-Refaie, Ahmed; Taylor, Jake; Kai Hou Yip; Michelle Fabienne Bieger; Blain, Doriann; Gressier, Amelie; Guilluy, Gloria; Adam Yassin Jaziri; Kiefer, Flavien; Modirrousta-Galian, Darius; Morvan, Mario; Mugnai, Lorenzo V.; Pluriel, William; Poveda, Mathilde; Skaf, Nour; Whiteford, Niall; Wright, Sam; Zingales, Tiziano; Charnay, Benjamin; Drossart, Pierre; Leconte, Jeremy; Venot, Olivia; Waldmann, Ingo; Beaulieu, Jean-Philippe (2020). "ARES I: WASP-76 b, A Tale of Two HST Spectra". The Astronomical Journal. 160 (1): 8. arXiv:2005.02374. Bibcode:2020AJ....160....8E. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ab9225. S2CID 218502668.
- Fu, Guangwei; Deming, Drake; Lothringer, Joshua; Nikolov, Nikolay; Sing, David K.; Kempton, Eliza M. -R.; Ih, Jegug; Evans, Thomas M.; Stevenson, Kevin; Wakeford, H. R.; Rodriguez, Joseph E.; Eastman, Jason D.; Stassun, Keivan; Henry, Gregory W.; López-Morales, Mercedes; Lendl, Monika; Conti, Dennis M.; Stockdale, Chris; Collins, Karen; Kielkopf, John; Barstow, Joanna K.; Sanz-Forcada, Jorge; Ehrenreich, David; Bourrier, Vincent (2020). "The Hubble PanCET program: Transit and Eclipse Spectroscopy of the Strongly Irradiated Giant Exoplanet WASP-76b". arXiv:2005.02568 [astro-ph.EP].
- Tabernero, H. M.; Zapatero Osorio, M. R.; Allart, R.; Borsa, F.; Casasayas-Barris, N.; Demangeon, O.; Ehrenreich, D.; Lillo-Box, J.; Lovis, C.; Pallé, E.; Sousa, S. G.; Rebolo, R.; Santos, N. C.; Pepe, F.; Cristiani, S.; Adibekyan, V.; Allende Prieto, C.; Alibert, Yann; Barros, S. C. C.; Bouchy, F.; Bourrier, V.; D'Odorico, V.; Dumusque, X.; Faria, J. P.; Figueira, P.; Génova Santos, R.; González Hernández, J. I.; Hojjatpanah, S.; Lo Curto, G.; et al. (2020), ESPRESSO high resolution transmission spectroscopy of WASP-76 b, arXiv:2011.12197