First mid-IR transmission spectrum of TOI-270 d shows molecular features with Bayesian evidence ln B = 2.8-5.3 and identifies candidate trace molecules from an agnostic search of 203 species.
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A reflective, metal-rich atmosphere for GJ 1214b from its JWST phase curve
20 Pith papers cite this work, alongside 150 external citations. Polarity classification is still indexing.
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Pith papers citing it
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abstract
There are no planets intermediate in size between Earth and Neptune in our Solar System, yet these objects are found around a substantial fraction of other stars. Population statistics show that close-in planets in this size range bifurcate into two classes based on their radii. It is hypothesized that the group with larger radii (referred to as "sub-Neptunes") is distinguished by having hydrogen-dominated atmospheres that are a few percent of the total mass of the planets. GJ 1214b is an archetype sub-Neptune that has been observed extensively using transmission spectroscopy to test this hypothesis. However, the measured spectra are featureless, and thus inconclusive, due to the presence of high-altitude aerosols in the planet's atmosphere. Here we report a spectroscopic thermal phase curve of GJ 1214b obtained with JWST in the mid-infrared. The dayside and nightside spectra (average brightness temperatures of 553 $\pm$ 9 and 437 $\pm$ 19 K, respectively) each show >3$\sigma$ evidence of absorption features, with H$_2$O as the most likely cause in both. The measured global thermal emission implies that GJ 1214b's Bond albedo is 0.51 $\pm$ 0.06. Comparison between the spectroscopic phase curve data and three-dimensional models of GJ 1214b reveal a planet with a high metallicity atmosphere blanketed by a thick and highly reflective layer of clouds or haze.
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Transit spectrum of TOI-6894b indicates 3-10x solar metallicity with solar C/O, N/O, and S/O ratios, similar to Jupiter and Saturn.
UV irradiation makes water-dominated exoplanet haze analogs more absorbing from 0.5-8 μm, producing a detectable difference in the 2.6 μm N-H feature in modeled transmission spectra for GJ 1214b.
High-resolution M-band spectroscopy detects super-stellar SiO in TWA 5 B, implying no significant magnesium-silicate clouds and formation consistent with core accretion beyond the CO snowline or gravitational instability with solid enrichment.
MELTYQ couples magma-atmosphere equilibrium models with spectral retrievals to constrain sub-Neptune magma oxidation states and volatile inventories from transmission spectra.
The atmosphere of TOI-1130b shows high metallicity, low C/O, and elevated mean molecular weight consistent with ex-situ formation beyond the water ice line.
Hydrolyzed haze analogs from water-rich exoplanet conditions show higher absorptivity and a high imaginary refractive index that flattens spectral features in atmospheric models.
Coupled thermal-chemical models indicate that sub-Neptunes formed outside the water-ice line exhibit high atmospheric CH4, H2O, and C/O ratios while those formed inside show suppressed CH4 and low C/O.
Horizontal quenching at wind speeds ≳500 m/s, plus carbon-sulfur chemistry, explains the MIRI non-detection of night-side methane on WASP-43 b without requiring high metallicity.
Radiative equilibrium calculations show silicate clouds (SiO2, Mg2SiO4) remain thermally stable across wide conditions while sulfide clouds (ZnS, Na2S, MnS) readily reach sublimation temperatures in upper exoplanet atmospheres.
Water- and metal-rich atmospheres on compact hot mini-Neptunes lose mass more slowly than H/He cases at high enrichment levels due to enhanced cooling and higher mean molecular weight.
An open-source GCE code with a 100x faster solver demonstrates that refractory ratios Mg/Si and Fe/Si control carbon partitioning and atmospheric properties in water-accreting sub-Neptunes.
ORCHARD is a new open code that models planetary evolution and structure across terrestrial to gas giant masses using multiple equations of state and atmospheric boundary conditions.
The transmission spectrum of AU Mic b is dominated by the transit light source effect from stellar spots, yielding only weak atmospheric constraints with a preferred scale height below 185 km.
Clouds drive over 1000 K heating at depth in sub-Neptune atmospheres, producing molten mantle interfaces for most planets in the sample and increasing abundances of O2, SiH4, and SiO by at least 36 percent.
Coupling Bern formation models with extended chemical equilibrium including S and N shows equilibration depletes atmospheric nitrogen, shifts C/O higher outside the ice line, generates Si species, and leaves sulfur abundances weakly dependent on formation location.
Simulations indicate that order-of-magnitude changes in TiO2 and SiO2 abundances in lava melts produce distinguishable TiO, SiO, and SiO2 features in dry lava planet emission spectra, potentially observable with 12 JWST eclipses for the brightest targets.
WASP-96b shows super-solar metallicity of 2-6x stellar, roughly stellar C/O, tentative SO2 consistent with photochemistry, and an optical slope from scattering aerosols, supporting core-accretion formation beyond the water snowline.
Mass of 13.7 Earth masses and density 0.4 g cm^{-3} measured for TOI-1883 b, a super-Neptune in the ridge regime around an early-M dwarf, with implications for disk migration and photoevaporation.
Models coupling hydrogen-silicate-iron miscibility with atmospheric escape reproduce the observed mass-radius occurrence density of sub-Neptunes and super-Earths.
citing papers explorer
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The Mid-Infrared Transmission Spectrum of the Temperate Sub-Neptune TOI-270 d
First mid-IR transmission spectrum of TOI-270 d shows molecular features with Bayesian evidence ln B = 2.8-5.3 and identifies candidate trace molecules from an agnostic search of 203 species.
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C, N, O, S, and photochemistry in a temperate giant planet orbiting a late M dwarf
Transit spectrum of TOI-6894b indicates 3-10x solar metallicity with solar C/O, N/O, and S/O ratios, similar to Jupiter and Saturn.
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Ultraviolet Radiation Effects on the Optical Properties of Water-Dominated Exoplanet Hazes
UV irradiation makes water-dominated exoplanet haze analogs more absorbing from 0.5-8 μm, producing a detectable difference in the 2.6 μm N-H feature in modeled transmission spectra for GJ 1214b.
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The CRIMSON survey I: super-stellar SiO in the directly imaged companion TWA 5 B from high-resolution M-band spectroscopy
High-resolution M-band spectroscopy detects super-stellar SiO in TWA 5 B, implying no significant magnesium-silicate clouds and formation consistent with core accretion beyond the CO snowline or gravitational instability with solid enrichment.
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Coupling magma-ocean and atmospheres in spectral retrievals of sub-Neptunes
MELTYQ couples magma-atmosphere equilibrium models with spectral retrievals to constrain sub-Neptune magma oxidation states and volatile inventories from transmission spectra.
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JWST unveils a high mean molecular weight atmosphere for mini-Neptune TOI-1130b: Evidence for formation beyond the water ice line
The atmosphere of TOI-1130b shows high metallicity, low C/O, and elevated mean molecular weight consistent with ex-situ formation beyond the water ice line.
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Hydrolyzed Hazes on Water-rich Exoplanets: Optical Constants and Detectability
Hydrolyzed haze analogs from water-rich exoplanet conditions show higher absorptivity and a high imaginary refractive index that flattens spectral features in atmospheric models.
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Coupled Thermal-Chemical Evolution Models of Sub-Neptunes Reveal Atmospheric Signatures of Their Formation Location
Coupled thermal-chemical models indicate that sub-Neptunes formed outside the water-ice line exhibit high atmospheric CH4, H2O, and C/O ratios while those formed inside show suppressed CH4 and low C/O.
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Phase-dependent chemistry of WASP-43 b revealed with a suite of one-, two-, and three-dimensional models
Horizontal quenching at wind speeds ≳500 m/s, plus carbon-sulfur chemistry, explains the MIRI non-detection of night-side methane on WASP-43 b without requiring high metallicity.
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Radiatively Controlled Thermal Stability of High-Altitude Clouds in Exoplanetary Atmospheres
Radiative equilibrium calculations show silicate clouds (SiO2, Mg2SiO4) remain thermally stable across wide conditions while sulfide clouds (ZnS, Na2S, MnS) readily reach sublimation temperatures in upper exoplanet atmospheres.
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Escape of Water- and Metal-enriched Atmospheres from compact Hot mini-Neptunes with CHAIN
Water- and metal-rich atmospheres on compact hot mini-Neptunes lose mass more slowly than H/He cases at high enrichment levels due to enhanced cooling and higher mean molecular weight.
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A New Global Chemical Equilibrium Code: Refractory Element Signatures in Super-Earths and Sub-Neptunes
An open-source GCE code with a 100x faster solver demonstrates that refractory ratios Mg/Si and Fe/Si control carbon partitioning and atmospheric properties in water-accreting sub-Neptunes.
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ORCHARD: A General Planetary Evolution Code
ORCHARD is a new open code that models planetary evolution and structure across terrestrial to gas giant masses using multiple equations of state and atmospheric boundary conditions.
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The HST/WFC3 Transmission Spectrum of AU Mic b Part I: An Atmosphere Obscured by Contamination and Systematics
The transmission spectrum of AU Mic b is dominated by the transit light source effect from stellar spots, yielding only weak atmospheric constraints with a preferred scale height below 185 km.
-
Impact of Clouds on the Atmosphere-Mantle Interface of Sub-Neptunes
Clouds drive over 1000 K heating at depth in sub-Neptune atmospheres, producing molten mantle interfaces for most planets in the sample and increasing abundances of O2, SiH4, and SiO by at least 36 percent.
-
The Role of Formation Location in Shaping Sulfur-, Nitrogen-, and Carbon-Bearing Species in Super-Earth and Sub-Neptune Atmospheres
Coupling Bern formation models with extended chemical equilibrium including S and N shows equilibration depletes atmospheric nitrogen, shifts C/O higher outside the ice line, generates Si species, and leaves sulfur abundances weakly dependent on formation location.
-
Sensitivity of Dry Lava Planet Atmospheric Emission Spectra to Changes in Lava Compositions
Simulations indicate that order-of-magnitude changes in TiO2 and SiO2 abundances in lava melts produce distinguishable TiO, SiO, and SiO2 features in dry lava planet emission spectra, potentially observable with 12 JWST eclipses for the brightest targets.
-
Super-Solar Metallicity and Tentative Evidence for Photochemistry on WASP-96b from JWST and Ground-Based VLT Transmission Spectroscopy
WASP-96b shows super-solar metallicity of 2-6x stellar, roughly stellar C/O, tentative SO2 consistent with photochemistry, and an optical slope from scattering aerosols, supporting core-accretion formation beyond the water snowline.
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The mass of TOI-1883 b: A low density super-Neptune in the ridge regime transiting an early-M dwarf
Mass of 13.7 Earth masses and density 0.4 g cm^{-3} measured for TOI-1883 b, a super-Neptune in the ridge regime around an early-M dwarf, with implications for disk migration and photoevaporation.
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The Influences of Hydrogen-Silicate-Iron Miscibility on the Demographics of Sub-Neptunes and Super-Earths
Models coupling hydrogen-silicate-iron miscibility with atmospheric escape reproduce the observed mass-radius occurrence density of sub-Neptunes and super-Earths.