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Evidence for a Dayside Thermal Inversion and High Metallicity for the Hot Jupiter WASP-18b

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

Sheppard, KB 
Mandell, AM 
Tamburo, P 
Gandhi, S 
Pinhas, A 

Abstract

We find evidence for a strong thermal inversion in the dayside atmosphere of the highly irradiated hot Jupiter WASP-18b (Teq=2411K, M=10.3MJ) based on emission spectroscopy from Hubble Space Telescope secondary eclipse observations and Spitzer eclipse photometry. We demonstrate a lack of water vapor in either absorption or emission at 1.4μm. However, we infer emission at 4.5μm and absorption at 1.6μm that we attribute to CO, as well as a non-detection of all other relevant species (e.g., TiO, VO). The most probable atmospheric retrieval solution indicates a C/O ratio of 1 and a high metallicity (C/H=283−138+395× solar). The derived composition and T/P profile suggest that WASP-18b is the first example of both a planet with a non-oxide driven thermal inversion and a planet with an atmospheric metallicity inconsistent with that predicted for Jupiter-mass planets at >2σ. Future observations are necessary to confirm the unusual planetary properties implied by these results.

Description

Keywords

planets and satellites: atmospheres, planets and satellites: composition, planets and satellites: gaseous planets, planets and satellites: individual (WASP-18b)

Journal Title

Astrophysical Journal Letters

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2041-8205
2041-8213

Volume Title

850

Publisher

American Astronomical Society
Sponsorship
Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/N000927/1)