Seminars

Astronomy departmental seminar - Bibiana Prinoth (Lund University)

Title:
Exploring the atmosphere of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-189 b
 
Abstract:
With the discovery of the first exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star, a class of highly irradiated planets has emerged that has fundamentally changed our view of planetary systems. These planets are different from the planets in our own solar system and therefore offer a unique perspective on the atmospheric chemistry and thermal structure of the hottest extrasolar gas giants.
 
One of these gas giants is the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-189 b, a planet very close to its host star and subject to extreme conditions. Although it has not been studied as intensively as its slightly colder siblings, the dynamical effects and richness of the transmission spectrum of this planet have caught our attention and raise the question: What else is there to see? 
 
In this talk, we will study the atmosphere of this planet as seen in the transmission spectrum using high-resolution spectrographs from around the world. After the first study published last year, in which we discovered nine different species, including titanium oxide, we have followed up with two more spectrographs to paint a more coherent picture that allows us to detected and investigate asymmetries in the signals. In this talk, I will take you from the observations to the discoveries and their implications for chemistry, temperature and dynamics, and try to close the circle by placing the planet in the larger context of ultra-hot Jupiters.