A high C/O ratio and weak thermal inversion in the atmosphere of exoplanet WASP-12b

Nikku Madhusudhan (), Joseph Harrington, Kevin B. Stevenson, Sarah Nymeyer, Christopher J. Campo, Peter J. Wheatley, Drake Deming, Jasmina Blecic, Ryan A. Hardy, Nate B. Lust, David R. Anderson, Andrew Collier-Cameron, Christopher B. T. Britt, William C. Bowman, Leslie Hebb, Coel Hellier, Pierre F. L. Maxted, Don Pollacco and Richard G. West
Additional contact information
Nikku Madhusudhan: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Joseph Harrington: Planetary Sciences Group, University of Central Florida
Kevin B. Stevenson: Planetary Sciences Group, University of Central Florida
Sarah Nymeyer: Planetary Sciences Group, University of Central Florida
Christopher J. Campo: Planetary Sciences Group, University of Central Florida
Peter J. Wheatley: University of Warwick
Drake Deming: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Jasmina Blecic: Planetary Sciences Group, University of Central Florida
Ryan A. Hardy: Planetary Sciences Group, University of Central Florida
Nate B. Lust: Planetary Sciences Group, University of Central Florida
David R. Anderson: Astrophysics Group, Keele University
Andrew Collier-Cameron: School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews
Christopher B. T. Britt: Planetary Sciences Group, University of Central Florida
William C. Bowman: Planetary Sciences Group, University of Central Florida
Leslie Hebb: Vanderbilt University
Coel Hellier: Astrophysics Group, Keele University
Pierre F. L. Maxted: Astrophysics Group, Keele University
Don Pollacco: Astrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen’s University, University Road
Richard G. West: University of Leicester

Nature, 2011, vol. 469, issue 7328, 64-67

Abstract: A carbon-rich exoplanet The transiting 'hot Jupiter' WASP-12b orbits a star slightly hotter than the Sun in a circular orbit at a distance of only 0.023 astronomical units (AU), making it one of the hottest exoplanets known. An analysis of dayside multi-wavelength photometry of WASP-12b reveals a carbon-rich atmosphere abundant in carbon monoxide. Compared with model predictions, the atmosphere is depleted in water vapour and enhanced in methane content by two orders of magnitude. In addition, the absence of a strong thermal inversion or a prominent stratosphere challenges existing theories about the atmospheres of such exoplanets.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1038/nature09602

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