Reflected light from 3D exoplanetary atmospheres and simulation of HD 209458b

We present radiation transfer models that demonstrate that reflected light levels from 3D exoplanetary atmospheres can be more than 50 per cent lower than those predicted by models of homogeneous or smooth atmospheres. Compared to smooth models, 3D atmospheres enable starlight to penetrate to larger depths resulting in a decreased probability for the photons to scatter back out of the atmosphere before being absorbed. The increased depth of penetration of starlight in a 3D medium is a well-known result from theoretical studies of molecular clouds and planetary atmospheres. For the first time we study the reflectivity of 3D atmospheres as a possible explanation for the apparent low geometric albedos inferred for extrasolar planetary atmospheres. Our models indicate that 3D atmospheric structure may be an important contributing factor to the non-detections of scattered light from exoplanetary atmospheres. We investigate the self-shadowing radiation transfer effects of patchy cloud cover in 3D scattered light simulations of the atmosphere of HD 209458b. We find that, for a generic planet, geometric albedos can be as high as 0.45 in some limited situations, but that in general the geometric albedo is much lower. We conclude with some explanations on why extrasolar planets are likely dark at optical wavelengths.     

The role of planetary formation and evolution in shaping the composition of exoplanetary atmospheres

Over the last twenty years, the search for extrasolar planets has revealed the rich diversity of outcomes from the formation and evolution of planetary systems. In order to fully understand how these extrasolar planets came to be, however, the orbital and physical data we possess are not enough, and they need to be complemented with information about the composition of the exoplanets. Ground-based and space-based observations provided the first data on the atmospheric composition of a few extrasolar planets, but a larger and more detailed sample is required before we can fully take advantage of it. The primary goal of a dedicated space mission like the Exoplanet Characterization Observatory (EChO) proposal is to fill this gap and to expand the limited data we possess by performing a systematic survey of extrasolar planets. The full exploitation of the data that space-based and ground-based facilities will provide in the near future, however, requires knowledge about the sources and sinks of the chemical species and molecules that will be observed. Luckily, the study of the past history of the Solar System provides several indications about the effects of processes like migration, late accretion and secular impacts, and on the time they occur in the life of planetary systems. In this work we will review what is already known about the factors influencing the composition of planetary atmospheres, focusing on the case of gaseous giant planets, and what instead still need to be investigated.     

Observations of circumstellar disks with infrared interferometry

The study of circumstellar disks around young stellar objects is arguably the area of astrophysics on which the technique of infrared interferometry has had the biggest impact. Here I will review the existing set of observations in this field, concentrating on disks but also including jets/winds and stellar properties. At the end, there is a brief discussion of how ongoing technical developments and observational improvements will expand the impact of infrared interferometry on the study of star formation.     

On the applicability of Benford law to exoplanetary and asteroid data

In this article we investigate the masses, orbital periods, semimajor axis, eccentricities and radii of the existing exoplanets by comparing the first and second digit probabilities with Benford laws’s predictions. It is found that the masses, orbital periods and semimajor axis conform to Benfordós law quite well, but radii fail. It is also investigated the first digits occurrence corresponding to a given order of magnitude. We introduce a top function which can estimate all the probabilities of the first digit order-to-order.     

A reverse KAM method to estimate unknown mutual inclinations in exoplanetary systems

The inclinations of exoplanets detected via radial velocity method are essentially unknown. We aim to provide estimations of the ranges of mutual inclinations that are compatible with the long-term stability of the system. Focusing on the skeleton of an extrasolar system, i.e. considering only the two most massive planets, we study the Hamiltonian of the three-body problem after the reduction of the angular momentum. Such a Hamiltonian is expanded both in Poincaré canonical variables and in the small parameter \(D_2\), which represents the normalised angular momentum deficit. The value of the mutual inclination is deduced from \(D_2\) and, thanks to the use of interval arithmetic, we are able to consider open sets of initial conditions instead of single values. Looking at the convergence radius of the Kolmogorov normal form, we develop a reverse KAM approach in order to estimate the ranges of mutual inclinations that are compatible with the long-term stability in a KAM sense. Our method is successfully applied to the extrasolar systems HD 141399, HD 143761 and HD 40307.     

On the temperature dependence of possible S8 infrared bands in planetary atmospheres

Measurements of the temperature dependence between 77 and 333°K of the infrared spectrum of cyclic octatomic sulfur suggest that the 23 μm Jovian feature very tentatively identified by Houck et al. [Science 189, 720–722 (1975)] is not due to S₈; and that the temperature dependence of the frequency of the 835 cm^? band of S₈ may be a useful temperature marker in planetary studies.     

Methodical peculiarities of study of pulsation-type motions in stellar atmospheres

An efficient methodical approach is proposed to the study of pulsation-type motions in the atmospheres of hot stars. Several well-studied stars are used as examples to demonstrate the appropriateness of the method, which allows to study in detail the kinematics of the atmosphere and do asteroseismological forecasts. This approach makes it possible to separately analyze different kinematics of the rising and falling layers of the stellar atmosphere, and to spectroscopically reveal different rotation of the star if such is the case. The differential rotation of atmospheric layers of HD 93521 is confirmed by the model computations.     

The radio occultation method for the study of planetary atmospheres

Planets, the Moon and the Sun have a number of ‘atmospheres’ which may be measured by the radio occultation method, using radio links to spacecraft which are being occulted by the body as seen from Earth. Molecular atmospheres, ionospheres, magnetospheres, particulate atmospheres and several general-relativistic atmospheres can all affect radio signal charecteristics. Measured Doppler frequencies, signal amplitudes and wave polarizations contain information on these atmospheres. From such occultation measurements it is possible, for example, to derive profiles which are related to the changes with height of temperature, pressure, density, free electron concentration and the fractional volume occupied by particulate matter. Important clues for identifying molecular or particulate constituents can also be obtained. Even though one type of measurement may be sensitive to several different atmospheric characteristics, these characteristics can often be separated due to differences in their dependence on radio wavelength or on height above the surface.     

Space-based measurements of elemental abundances and their relation to solar abundances

The solar wind provides a source of solar abundance data that only recently is being fully exploited. The Ion Composition Instrument (ICI) aboard the ISEE-3/ICE spacecraft was in the solar wind continuously from August 1978 to December 1982. The results have allowed us to establish long-term average solar wind abundance values for helium, oxygen, neon, silicon, and iron. The Charge-Energy-Mass (CHEM) instrument aboard the CCE spacecraft of the AMPTE mission has measured the abundance of these elements in the magnetosheath and has also added carbon, nitrogen, magnesium, and sulfur to the list. There is strong evidence that these magnetosheath abundances are representative of the solar wind. Other sources of solar wind abundances are Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) experiments and Apollo lunar foils. When comparing the abundances from all of these sources with photospheric abundances, it is clear that helium is depleted in the solar wind while silicon and iron are enhanced. Solar wind abundances for carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and neon correlate well with the photospheric values. The incorporation of minor ions into the solar wind appears to depend upon both the ionization times for the elements and the Coulomb drag exerted by the outflowing proton flux.     

Hydrodynamic study of condensation and sublimation of ice particles in cometary atmospheres

Condensation of ice particles in the vicinity of a cometary nucleus as pointed out by Yamamoto and Ashihara (1985, Astron. Astrophys. 152, L17–L20) is fully studied by solving the hydrodynamic equations for ice particles and H₂O gas. Formulation is presented for the hydrodynamics including condensation and sublimation of ice particles, and energy exchange between ice particles and the gas in a dustless comet. It is shown that sublimation of ice particles condensed leads to heating of the ambient gas, resulting in the higher gas temperature than those predicted by the models proposed so far. Compared with the previous calculation carried out under the conditions at the encounter of the spacecraft to Halley's Comet, the present results have revealed that the survival distance of ice particles against sublimation is longer, but that their size, which attains its maximum of 6.4 Å at 51 km from the center of the nucleus, is smaller, resulting in a larger fraction of uncondensed H₂O gas. Discussion is given on the physical conditions under which condensation of ice particles can take place in cometary comae.     

Experimental study of the degradation of polymers: Application to the origin of extended sources in cometary atmospheres

Abstract— This paper presents some preliminary results concerning the degradation of refractory nitrogenated polymers, which could be responsible for the CN extended source in comets. We are studying hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) and HCN polymers. Both compounds have been irradiated or heated to simulate the degradation processes they undergo in the cometary atmosphere. We show that, even if both compounds are quite stable under photolysis, the heating leads to a much more efficient degradation with the formation of HCN, NH₃, and other heavier compounds. Moreover, the thermal degradation of HCN polymers appears to be more efficient than that of HMT. Thus, the HCN polymers seem to be better candidates for the CN extended source. We are now developing a new reactor to quantify the production of gaseous molecules and to detect in situ CN radicals.     

A multiwavelength infrared study of NGC 891

We present a multiwavlength infrared (IR) study of the nearby, edge-on, spiral galaxy NGC 891. We have examined 20 independent, spatially resolved IR images of this galaxy, 14 of which are newly reduced and/or previously unpublished images. These images span a wavelength regime from  λ 1.2 μ  m in which the emission is dominated by cool stars, through the mid-IR, in which emission is dominated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), to λ 850 μm, in which emission is dominated by cold dust in thermal equilibrium with the radiation field. The changing morphology of the galaxy with wavelength illustrates the changing dominant components. We detect extraplanar dust emission in this galaxy, consistent with previously published results, but now show that PAH emission is also in the halo, to a vertical distance of   z ≥ 2.5 kpc  . We compare the vertical extents of various components and find that the PAHs (from λ 7.7 and 8 μm data) and warm dust (λ 24 μm) extend to smaller z heights than the cool dust (λ 450 μm). For six locations in the galaxy for which the signal-to-noise ratio was sufficient, we present spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the IR emission, including two in the halo – the first time a halo SED in an external galaxy has been presented. We have modelled these SEDs and find that the PAH fraction, f _PAH, is similar to Galactic values (within a factor of 2), with the lowest value at the galaxy's centre, consistent with independent results of other galaxies. In the halo environment, the fraction of dust exposed to a colder radiation field, f _cold, is of the order of unity, consistent with an environment in which there is no star formation. The source of excitation is likely from photons escaping from the disc.     

A random graphs model for the study of chemical complexity in planetary atmospheres

We suggest that the study of the general behavior of a chemical system in planetary atmospheres might be equivalent to the study of the evolution of connected components in a random graphs model. The main result of our model is that interacting elements in a system self-organize in such a way that the distribution in size of the created compounds follows a power-law relation. We show that hydrocarbons in giant planets and Titan atmospheres might follow the same type of distribution, suggesting that atmospheric photochemical systems might self-organized as random graphs do. This property could give a new and predictive method for investigations of chemical complexity in planetary atmospheres.     

Benzene and aerosol production in Titan and Jupiter's atmospheres: a sensitivity study

Benzene has recently been observed in the atmosphere of Jupiter, Saturn and also Titan. This compound is required as a precursor for larger aromatic species (PAHs) that may be part of aerosol particles. Several photochemical models have tried to reproduce the observed quantities of benzene in the atmospheres of Jupiter (both low- and high-latitudes regions), Saturn and Titan. In this present work, we have conducted a sensitivity study of benzene and PAHs formation, using similar photochemical schemes both for Titan and Jupiter (low-latitudes conditions). Two different photochemical schemes are used, for which the modeled composition fairly agrees with observational constraints, both for Jupiter and Titan. Some disagreements are specific to each atmospheric case, which may point to needed improvements, especially in kinetic data involved in the corresponding chemical cycles. The observed benzene mole fraction in Titan's stratosphere is reproduced by the model, but in the case of Jupiter, low-latitudes benzene abundance is only 3% of the observed column density, which may indicate a possible influence of latitudinal transport, since abundance of benzene is much higher in auroral regions. Though, the photochemical scheme of C₆ compounds at temperature and pressure conditions of planetary atmospheres is still very uncertain. Several variations are therefore done on key reactions in benzene production. These variations show that benzene abundance is mainly sensitive to reactions that may affect the propargyl radical. The effect of aerosol production on hydrocarbons composition is also tested, as well as possible heterogenous recombination of atomic hydrogen in the case of Titan. PAHs are a major pathway for aerosol production in both models. The mass production profiles for aerosols are discussed for both Titan and Jupiter. Total production mass fluxes are roughly three times the one expected by observational constraints in both cases. Such comparative studies are useful to bring more constraints on photochemical models.     

The contribution of small grains to the opacity of protoplanetary atmospheres

I compute the opacity of grains in a protoplanetary atmosphere. The grain size distribution at different levels in the atmosphere is calculated using a simple microphysical model of grain growth via collisions and destruction via vaporization at high temperatures. The Rosseland mean opacity of the resulting distribution is then computed. For most cases examined, the grain opacity is significantly lower than earlier estimates.     

Origin and evolution of planetary atmospheres: An introduction to the problem

Planetary atmospheres have their birth in certain physical and chemical events in the primitive solar nebula. These events involve irreversible volatile retention through condensation and accretion of planetesimals and giant planets whose volatile inventory can survive the subsequent dissipation of the nebula. Clues to these earliest processes are inferred not without difficulty from the observed volatile compositions of present-day planetary and satellite atmospheres, meteorites and comets. The origins of terrestrial-type atmospheres appear to have involved outgassing of the solid planet with compositions and rates intimately connected to the late growth and thermal evolution of the planet itself. Subsequent evolutionary processes such as escape of certain light elements and cometary and meteoritic infall appear to be of general significance; others such as atmosphere- hydrosphere-crust interactions and development and influence of living organisms are highly specific. Our knowledge of these highly specific areas is largely restricted to the last 3.8 billion years on earth and is based upon analyses of the geologic record which are not presently available for Venus, Titan or the pre-Archean earth and are only available in a superficial way for Mars. In this introductory paper we attempt to draw an integrated picture of the atmospheric evolutionary process being careful to define the outstanding problems, to differentiate theory from fact, and to emphasize the strengths and weaknesses of apriori and aposteriori approaches to these problems.     

Radiative transfer in spherical shell atmospheres. III. Application to Venus

We have introduced a method of partitioning the radiance emerging from a planetary atmosphere in proportion to the average number of scatterings in each atmospheric layer in order to gain a more fundamental understanding of the so-called level of line formation. A realistic model of the Venus atmosphere was used to compute the radiance for a range of phase angles and two planetary colatitudes, namely, 20 and 90°. We computed the core and continuum radiances for the P(16) line of 8689-Å CO₂ band and introduced two ways of computing an effective temperature. Both definitions yielded similar results. We found that these effective temperatures varied little with phase angles up to 120°, but fell rather rapidly beyond this point. Also colder effective temperatures were found as we went from equator to pole. The results obtained are all consistent with the spectroscopic temperature determination from CO₂ band studies. We have also defined an effective optical depth, τ_eff, which we feel gives a better understanding of the level of line formation than other definitions used to date.