B. Charnay, J. Mendonça, L. Kreidberg, N. B. Cowan, J. E. Taylor, Taylor J. Bell, O. Demangeon, Billy Edwards, C. A. Haswell, G. Morello, L. V. Mugnai, E. Pascale, G. Tinetti, P. Tremblin, Robert T. Zellem
Abstract
The ESA-Ariel mission will include a tier dedicated to exoplanet phase curves corresponding to ∼10% of the science time. We present here the current observing strategy for studying exoplanet phase curves with Ariel. We define science questions, requirements and a list of potential targets. We also estimate the precision of phase curve reconstruction and atmospheric retrieval using simulated phase curves. Based on this work, we found that full-orbit phase variations for 35-40 exoplanets could be observed during the 3.5-yr mission. This statistical sample would provide key constraints on atmospheric dynamics, composition, thermal structure and clouds of warm exoplanets, complementary to the scientific yield from spectroscopic transits/eclipses measurements.
Keywords
Exoplanets; Ariel space mission; Atmospheres; Phase curves; Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics; Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
Experimental Astronomy
2021 March
