超级地球系外行星GJ 1214b大气中的云层
Laura Kreidberg1, Jacob L Bean1, Jean-Michel Désert2
1Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
Nature
|January 2, 2014
概括
超级地球系外行星很常见,但它们的大气层仍然是神秘的. 新的哈勃太空望远镜数据显示了GJ 1214b.
科学领域:
- 外行星科学是外行星的科学.
- 大气表征大气的表征.
- 比較行星學 比較行星學
背景情况:
- 超级地球,地球和海王星之间的行星,是最常见的系外行星.
- 了解超级地球大气层对于理解这种普遍存在的行星类别至关重要.
- 之前对GJ 1214b大气层的研究是不确定的,无法区分富含水的组成和高海拔云层.
研究的目的:
- 为了明确描述超级地球GJ 1214b.的大气层.
- 为了解决重分子主导的大气和云遮蔽的大气之间的模两可.
- 为了限制超级地球的大气组成模型.
主要方法:
- 利用哈勃太空望远镜对GJ 1214b进行传输光谱观测.
- 收集近红外波长的数据,以达到高精度.
- 分析了传输频谱,以寻找暗示大气组成的吸收特征.
主要成果:
- 获得的GJ 1214b的传输频谱没有特征.
- 高精度数据排除了水,甲,一氧化碳,或二氧化碳组成的无云大气模型 (保证值>5σ).
- 观察到的光谱与清的大气相矛盾,大气中以常见的重分子为主.
结论:
- 在GJ 1214b的大气层中一定存在云层.
- 云的存在是必要的,以解释无特征的近红外传输频谱.
- 这一发现对理解常见超级地球系外行星的大气性质有重大影响.
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