Ground-based detection of an extended helium atmosphere in the Saturn-mass exoplanet WASP-69b

DOI: 
10.1126/science.aat5348
Publication date: 
01/12/2018
Main author: 
Nortmann L.
IAA authors: 
López-Puertas, M.;Bauer, F.F.;Amado, P.J.;Lampón, M.;Sánchez-López, A.
Authors: 
Nortmann L., Pallé E., Salz M., Sanz-Forcada J., Nagel E., Alonso-Floriano F.J., Czesla S., Yan F., Chen G., Snellen I.A.G., Zechmeister M., Schmitt J.H.M.M., López-Puertas M., Casasayas-Barris N., Bauer F.F., Amado P.J., Caballero J.A., Dreizler S., Henning T., Lampón M., Montes D., Molaverdikhani K., Quirrenbach A., Reiners A., Ribas I., Sánchez-López A., Schneider P.C., Zapatero Osorio M.R.
Journal: 
Science
Publication type: 
Article
Volume: 
362
Pages: 
1388-1391
Abstract: 
Hot gas giant exoplanets can lose part of their atmosphere due to strong stellar irradiation, and these losses can affect their physical and chemical evolution. Studies of atmospheric escape from exoplanets have mostly relied on space-based observations of the hydrogen Lyman-a line in the far ultraviolet region, which is strongly affected by interstellar absorption. Using ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy, we detected excess absorption in the helium triplet at 1083 nanometers during the transit of the Saturn-mass exoplanet WASP-69b, at a signal-to-noise ratio of 18. We measured line blueshifts of several kilometers per second and posttransit absorption, which we interpret as the escape of part of the atmosphere trailing behind the planet in comet-like form. © 2018 American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights reserved.
Database: 
ADS
SCOPUS
URL: 
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/#abs/2018Sci...362.1388N/abstract
ADS Bibcode: 
2018Sci...362.1388N