Phase curve and geometric albedo of WASP-43b measured with CHEOPS, TESS, and HST WFC3/UVIS
Journal article, 2022

Context. Observations of the phase curves and secondary eclipses of extrasolar planets provide a window onto the composition and thermal structure of the planetary atmospheres. For example, the photometric observations of secondary eclipses lead to the measurement of the planetary geometric albedo, Ag, which is an indicator of the presence of clouds in the atmosphere. Aims. In this work, we aim to measure the Ag in the optical domain of WASP-43b, a moderately irradiated giant planet with an equilibrium temperature of ~1400 K. Methods. For this purpose, we analyzed the secondary eclipse light curves collected by CHEOPS together with TESS along with observations of the system and the publicly available photometry obtained with HST WFC3/UVIS. We also analyzed the archival infrared observations of the eclipses and retrieve the thermal emission spectrum of the planet. By extrapolating the thermal spectrum to the optical bands, we corrected for the optical eclipses for thermal emission and derived the optical Ag. Results. The fit of the optical data leads to a marginal detection of the phase-curve signal, characterized by an amplitude of 160 ± 60 ppm and 80a-? 50+60 ppm in the CHEOPS and TESS passbands, respectively, with an eastward phase shift of ~50 (1.5Ï ? detection). The analysis of the infrared data suggests a non-inverted thermal profile and solar-like metallicity. The combination of the optical and infrared analyses allows us to derive an upper limit for the optical albedo of Ag< 0.087, with a confidence of 99.9%. Conclusions. Our analysis of the atmosphere of WASP-43b places this planet in the sample of irradiated hot Jupiters, with monotonic temperature-pressure profile and no indication of condensation of reflective clouds on the planetary dayside.

Planets and satellites: atmospheres

Planets and satellites: gaseous planets

Planets and satellites: detection

Techniques: photometric

Planets and satellites: individual: WASP-43b

Author

Gaetano Scandariato

Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)

V. Singh

Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)

D. Kitzmann

University of Bern

M. Lendl

University of Geneva

A. Brandeker

Stockholm University

G. Bruno

Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)

A. Bekkelien

University of Geneva

W. Benz

University of Bern

P. Gutermann

CS20330

Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille

P. Maxted

Keele University

A. Bonfanti

Institut fur Weltraumforschung

S. Charnoz

Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris

Malcolm Fridlund

Leiden University

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics

Kevin Heng

The University of Warwick

University of Bern

S. Hoyer

Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille

I. Pagano

Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)

Carina Persson

Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Astronomy and Plasmaphysics

S. Salmon

University of Geneva

V. Van Grootel

Institut fur Weltraumforschung

T.G. Wilson

University of St Andrews

J. Asquier

European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA ESTEC)

M. Bergomi

Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)

L. Gambicorti

European Space Agency (ESA)

J. Hasiba

Institut fur Weltraumforschung

Y. Alibert

University of Bern

R. Alonso

Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

University of La Laguna

G. Anglada

Institute of Space Sciences (ICE) - CSIC

Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC)

T. Bárczy

Admatis

D. Barrado

Centro de Astrobiologia (CAB)

S.C.C. Barros

University of Porto

W. Baumjohann

Institut fur Weltraumforschung

M. Beck

University of Geneva

T. Beck

University of Bern

N. Billot

University of Geneva

X. Bonfils

Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG)

C. Broeg

University of Bern

J. Cabrera

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

A. Collier Cameron

University of St Andrews

Szilard Csizmadia

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

M. B. Davies

Lund University

M. Deleuil

Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille

A. Deline

University of Geneva

L. Delrez

University of Liège

O. Demangeon

University of Porto

B.O. Demory

University of Bern

Anders Erikson

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

A. Fortier

University of Bern

L. Fossati

Institut fur Weltraumforschung

D. Gandolfi

University of Turin

Michaël Gillon

University of Liège

M. Gudel

University of Vienna

K. Isaak

European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA ESTEC)

L. Kiss

Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)

Hungarian Academy of Sciences

J. Laskar

Paris Observatory

A. L. des Etangs

Institut d 'Astrophysique de Paris

C. Lovis

University of Geneva

D. Magrin

Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)

Valerio Nascimbeni

Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)

G. Olofsson

Stockholm University

R. Ottensamer

University of Vienna

Enric Palle

Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

H. Parviainen

Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

G. Peter

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

Giampaolo P. Piotto

University of Padua

Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)

Don L. Pollacco

The University of Warwick

D. Queloz

University of Cambridge

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich (ETH)

Roberto Ragazzoni

Istituto nazionale di astrofisica (INAF)

University of Padua

N. Rando

European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA ESTEC)

H. Rauer

Technische Universität Berlin

Freie Universität Berlin

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

I. Ribas

Institute of Space Sciences (ICE) - CSIC

Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC)

N. C. Santos

University of Porto

D. Segransan

University of Geneva

L. M. Serrano

University of Turin

A.E. Simon

University of Bern

Alexis M. S. Smith

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

S.G. Sousa

University of Porto

Manfred B. Steller

Institut fur Weltraumforschung

G.M. Szabó

Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE)

Nicolas Thomas

University of Bern

S. Udry

University of Geneva

B. Ulmer

German Aerospace Center (DLR)

N. A. Walton

University of Cambridge

Astronomy and Astrophysics

0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)

Vol. 668 A17

Exoplanet diversity with satellite studies

Swedish National Space Board (174/18), 2019-02-04 -- 2023-08-01.

Exoplanets from space -CHEOPS and PLATO ESA's next two projects (Phase 2)

Swedish National Space Board (65/19), 2020-01-01 -- 2022-12-31.

Swedish National Space Board (177/19), 2020-01-01 -- 2022-12-31.

Subject Categories

Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology

Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics

Other Physics Topics

DOI

10.1051/0004-6361/202243974

More information

Latest update

9/15/2023