Date: Wednesday 15-Mar-2023
Time: 11:30-12:30 pm
Location: PSC 1136
Speaker: Megan Mansfield (University of Arizona)
Title: "Spectroscopic eclipse mapping of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-18b"
Exoplanet eclipse and phase curve observations have revealed information about energy transport and thermal structures of planetary atmospheres. However, this information has been fundamentally limited by these observational techniques, which only probe spatially-integrated fluxes. The launch of JWST in 2021 enabled the new technique of spectroscopic eclipse mapping, which uses measurements during secondary eclipse ingress and egress to construct a brightness map resolved in latitude, longitude, and altitude. No other observational technique can simultaneously resolve exoplanet atmospheres in all three dimensions.
In this talk, I will present early results of a spectroscopic eclipse map of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-18b, the first such map produced from JWST data. I will describe the methods used to extract spatially-resolved information from secondary eclipse observations and what this information reveals about compositional and thermal gradients across the dayside of the planet. Finally, I will discuss the prospects for eclipse mapping other exoplanets with JWST.
Guidelines and format for the CTC Lunch seminars.
Past CTC Lunch seminars.
For other questions, contact the CTC Lunch host: Shmuel Bialy
SPECIAL ACCOMMODATIONS:
Special accommodations for individuals with disabilities can be made by calling (301) 405-3001. It would be appreciated if we are notified at least one week in advance.
