Characterization of extrasolar planets through transmission spectroscopy

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Jürgen H.M.M. Schmitt
• Subject Area: Astrophysics and Astronomy
• Term: from 2015 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 281454604

• Final Report Year: 2021

Final Report Abstract

The work carried out in this project resulted in a thorough analysis of a UVES data set for planetary absorption signals, i.e., from a data set that had actually been obtained for another purpose; transmission spectroscopy is the main method that currently provides information on the atmospheres of exoplanets. The main result of the project was the demonstration of an exoplanetary absorption signal in sodium despite the presence of substantial stellar activity. The work carried out here specifically opened the route for the Hamburg group into exoplanetary transmission spectroscopy which is pursued up to the present day especially with CARMENES data.

Publications

• ”Exoplanetary atmospheric sodium revealed by orbital motion. Narrow-band transmission spectroscopy of HD 189733b with UVES” A&A, 2018, 598, A131
  Khalafinejad, S.; et al.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201629473)
• ”Time-resolved UVES observations of a stellar flare on the planet host HD 189733 during primary transit”, A&A, 2017, 607, A66
  Klocova, T.; Czesla, S.; Khalafinejad, S.; Wolter, U.; Schmitt, J. H. M. M.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201630068)
• ”The atmosphere of WASP-17b: Optical high-resolution transmission spectroscopy”, A&A, 2017, 618, A98
  Khalafinejad, S.; et al.
  (See online at https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201732029)