Gemini planet imager spectroscopy of the HR 8799 planets c and d

Patrick Ingraham, Mark S. Marley, Didier Saumon, Christian Marois, Bruce Macintosh, Travis Barman, Brian Bauman, Adam S. Burrows, Jeffrey K. Chilcote, Robert J. De Rosa, Daren Dillon, René Doyon, Jennifer Dunn, Darren Erikson, Michael P. Fitzgerald, Donald Gavel, Stephen J. Goodsell, James R. Graham, Markus Hartung, Pascale HibonPaul G. Kalas, Quinn Konopacky, James A. Larkin, Jérôme Maire, Franck Marchis, James McBride, Max Millar-Blanchaer, Katie M. Morzinski, Andrew Norton, Rebecca Oppenheimer, Dave W. Palmer, Jenny Patience, Marshall D. Perrin, Lisa A. Poyneer, Laurent Pueyo, Fredrik Rantakyrö, Naru Sadakuni, Leslie Saddlemyer, Dmitry Savransky, Rémi Soummer, Anand Sivaramakrishnan, Inseok Song, Sandrine Thomas, J. Kent Wallace, Sloane J. Wiktorowicz, Schuyler G. Wolff

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

63 Scopus citations

Abstract

During the first-light run of the Gemini Planet Imager we obtained K-band spectra of exoplanets HR 8799 c and d. Analysis of the spectra indicates that planet d may be warmer than planet c. Comparisons to recent patchy cloud models and previously obtained observations over multiple wavelengths confirm that thick clouds combined with horizontal variation in the cloud cover generally reproduce the planets' spectral energy distributions. When combined with the 3 to 4 μm photometric data points, the observations provide strong constraints on the atmospheric methane content for both planets. The data also provide further evidence that future modeling efforts must include cloud opacity, possibly including cloud holes, disequilibrium chemistry, and super-solar metallicity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberL15
JournalAstrophysical Journal Letters
Volume794
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 10 2014

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

Keywords

  • infrared: planetary systems
  • instrumentation: adaptive optics
  • instrumentation: high angular resolution
  • planets and satellites: atmospheres
  • planets and satellites: gaseous planets
  • techniques: imaging spectroscopy

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