Optical phase curve of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-121b

Bourrier, V.; Kitzmann, D.; Kuntzer, T.; Nascimbeni, V.; Lendl, M.; Lavie, B.; Hoeijmakers, H. J.; Pino, L.; Ehrenreich, D.; Heng, K.; Allart, R.; Cegla, H. M.; Dumusque, X.; Melo, C.; Astudillo-Defru, N.; Caldwell, D. A.; Cretignier, M.; Giles, H.; Henze, C. E.; Jenkins, J.; Lovis, C.; Murgas, F.; Pepe, F.; Ricker, G. R.; Rose, M. E.; Seager, S.; Segransan, D.; Suárez-Mascareño, A.; Udry, S.; Vanderspek, R.; Wyttenbach, A.
Bibliographical reference

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Advertised on:
5
2020
Number of authors
31
IAC number of authors
2
Citations
57
Refereed citations
56
Description
We present the analysis of TESS optical photometry of WASP-121b, which reveals the phase curve of this transiting ultra-hot Jupiter. Its hotspot is located at the sub-stellar point, showing inefficient heat transport from the dayside (2870 ± 50 K) to the nightside (<2500 K at 3σ) at the altitudes probed by TESS. The TESS eclipse depth, measured at the shortest wavelength to date for WASP-121b, confirms the strong deviation from blackbody planetary emission. Our atmospheric retrieval on the complete emission spectrum supports the presence of a temperature inversion, which can be explained by the presence of VO and possibly TiO and FeH. The strong planetary emission at short wavelengths could arise from an H- continuum.

The reduced light curve of WASP-121, phase-folded at the planet orbital period and binned (Fig. 2) is available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/637/A36

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