The secondary transit of the hot Jupiter WASP-121b at 2 $μ$m [EPA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1901.02383


Ground-based observations of the secondary transit in the 2MASS K band are presented for the hot Jupiter WASP-121b. These are the first occultation observations of an extrasolar planet carried out with an instrument attached to a 1m-class telescope (SMARTS’ 1.3 m). We find a highly significant transit depth of (0.228 +/- 0.023)%. Together with the Hubble Space Telescope near infrared emission spectrum, current data support more involved atmosphere models with species producing emission/absorption features, rather than simple smooth black body emission. Analysis of the time difference between the primary and secondary transits and the durations of these events yield an eccentricity of e=0.0207 +/- 0.0153, which is consistent with the earlier estimates of low/zero eccentricity, but with a smaller error. Together with the existing K-band data on other systems, WASP-121b lends further support to the lack of efficient heat transport between the day and night sides for nearly all Hot Jupiters.

Read this paper on arXiv…

G. Kovacs and T. Kovacs
Wed, 9 Jan 19
29/46

Comments: Size:0.3 MB; Status: After the 1st referee report, re-submitted to A&A