Nightside condensation of iron in an ultrahot giant exoplanet

David Ehrenreich (), Christophe Lovis, Romain Allart, María Rosa Zapatero Osorio, Francesco Pepe, Stefano Cristiani, Rafael Rebolo, Nuno C. Santos, Francesco Borsa, Olivier Demangeon, Xavier Dumusque, Jonay I. González Hernández, Núria Casasayas-Barris, Damien Ségransan, Sérgio Sousa, Manuel Abreu, Vardan Adibekyan, Michael Affolter, Carlos Allende Prieto, Yann Alibert, Matteo Aliverti, David Alves, Manuel Amate, Gerardo Avila, Veronica Baldini, Timothy Bandy, Willy Benz, Andrea Bianco, Émeline Bolmont, François Bouchy, Vincent Bourrier, Christopher Broeg, Alexandre Cabral, Giorgio Calderone, Enric Pallé, H. M. Cegla, Roberto Cirami, João M. P. Coelho, Paolo Conconi, Igor Coretti, Claudio Cumani, Guido Cupani, Hans Dekker, Bernard Delabre, Sebastian Deiries, Valentina D’Odorico, Paolo Di Marcantonio, Pedro Figueira, Ana Fragoso, Ludovic Genolet, Matteo Genoni, Ricardo Génova Santos, Nathan Hara, Ian Hughes, Olaf Iwert, Florian Kerber, Jens Knudstrup, Marco Landoni, Baptiste Lavie, Jean-Louis Lizon, Monika Lendl, Gaspare Lo Curto, Charles Maire, Antonio Manescau, C. J. A. P. Martins, Denis Mégevand, Andrea Mehner, Giusi Micela, Andrea Modigliani, Paolo Molaro, Manuel Monteiro, Mario Monteiro, Manuele Moschetti, Eric Müller, Nelson Nunes, Luca Oggioni, António Oliveira, Giorgio Pariani, Luca Pasquini, Ennio Poretti, José Luis Rasilla, Edoardo Redaelli, Marco Riva, Samuel Santana Tschudi, Paolo Santin, Pedro Santos, Alex Segovia Milla, Julia V. Seidel, Danuta Sosnowska, Alessandro Sozzetti, Paolo Spanò, Alejandro Suárez Mascareño, Hugo Tabernero, Fabio Tenegi, Stéphane Udry, Alessio Zanutta and Filippo Zerbi
Additional contact information
David Ehrenreich: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Christophe Lovis: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Romain Allart: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
María Rosa Zapatero Osorio: Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA)
Francesco Pepe: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Stefano Cristiani: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
Rafael Rebolo: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Nuno C. Santos: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade do Porto, CAUP
Francesco Borsa: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Olivier Demangeon: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade do Porto, CAUP
Xavier Dumusque: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Jonay I. González Hernández: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Núria Casasayas-Barris: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Damien Ségransan: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Sérgio Sousa: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade do Porto, CAUP
Manuel Abreu: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade de Lisboa
Vardan Adibekyan: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade do Porto, CAUP
Michael Affolter: Physikalisches Institut and Center for Space and Habitability, Universität Bern
Carlos Allende Prieto: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Yann Alibert: Physikalisches Institut and Center for Space and Habitability, Universität Bern
Matteo Aliverti: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
David Alves: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade de Lisboa
Manuel Amate: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Gerardo Avila: European Southern Observatory
Veronica Baldini: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
Timothy Bandy: Physikalisches Institut and Center for Space and Habitability, Universität Bern
Willy Benz: Physikalisches Institut and Center for Space and Habitability, Universität Bern
Andrea Bianco: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Émeline Bolmont: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
François Bouchy: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Vincent Bourrier: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Christopher Broeg: Physikalisches Institut and Center for Space and Habitability, Universität Bern
Alexandre Cabral: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade de Lisboa
Giorgio Calderone: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
Enric Pallé: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
H. M. Cegla: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Roberto Cirami: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
João M. P. Coelho: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade de Lisboa
Paolo Conconi: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Igor Coretti: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
Claudio Cumani: European Southern Observatory
Guido Cupani: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
Hans Dekker: European Southern Observatory
Bernard Delabre: European Southern Observatory
Sebastian Deiries: European Southern Observatory
Valentina D’Odorico: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
Paolo Di Marcantonio: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
Pedro Figueira: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade do Porto, CAUP
Ana Fragoso: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Ludovic Genolet: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Matteo Genoni: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Ricardo Génova Santos: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Nathan Hara: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Ian Hughes: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Olaf Iwert: European Southern Observatory
Florian Kerber: European Southern Observatory
Jens Knudstrup: European Southern Observatory
Marco Landoni: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Baptiste Lavie: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Jean-Louis Lizon: European Southern Observatory
Monika Lendl: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Gaspare Lo Curto: European Southern Observatory
Charles Maire: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Antonio Manescau: European Southern Observatory
C. J. A. P. Martins: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade do Porto, CAUP
Denis Mégevand: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Andrea Mehner: European Southern Observatory
Giusi Micela: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo
Andrea Modigliani: European Southern Observatory
Paolo Molaro: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
Manuel Monteiro: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade do Porto, CAUP
Mario Monteiro: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade do Porto, CAUP
Manuele Moschetti: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Eric Müller: European Southern Observatory
Nelson Nunes: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade de Lisboa
Luca Oggioni: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
António Oliveira: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade de Lisboa
Giorgio Pariani: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Luca Pasquini: European Southern Observatory
Ennio Poretti: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
José Luis Rasilla: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Edoardo Redaelli: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Marco Riva: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Samuel Santana Tschudi: European Southern Observatory
Paolo Santin: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
Pedro Santos: Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Universidade de Lisboa
Alex Segovia Milla: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Julia V. Seidel: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Danuta Sosnowska: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Alessandro Sozzetti: INAF Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino
Paolo Spanò: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Alejandro Suárez Mascareño: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Hugo Tabernero: Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA)
Fabio Tenegi: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias
Stéphane Udry: Observatoire Astronomique de l’Université de Genève
Alessio Zanutta: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera
Filippo Zerbi: INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera

Nature, 2020, vol. 580, issue 7805, 597-601

Abstract: Abstract Ultrahot giant exoplanets receive thousands of times Earth’s insolation1,2. Their high-temperature atmospheres (greater than 2,000 kelvin) are ideal laboratories for studying extreme planetary climates and chemistry3–5. Daysides are predicted to be cloud-free, dominated by atomic species6 and much hotter than nightsides5,7,8. Atoms are expected to recombine into molecules over the nightside9, resulting in different day and night chemistries. Although metallic elements and a large temperature contrast have been observed10–14, no chemical gradient has been measured across the surface of such an exoplanet. Different atmospheric chemistry between the day-to-night (‘evening’) and night-to-day (‘morning’) terminators could, however, be revealed as an asymmetric absorption signature during transit4,7,15. Here we report the detection of an asymmetric atmospheric signature in the ultrahot exoplanet WASP-76b. We spectrally and temporally resolve this signature using a combination of high-dispersion spectroscopy with a large photon-collecting area. The absorption signal, attributed to neutral iron, is blueshifted by −11 ± 0.7 kilometres per second on the trailing limb, which can be explained by a combination of planetary rotation and wind blowing from the hot dayside16. In contrast, no signal arises from the nightside close to the morning terminator, showing that atomic iron is not absorbing starlight there. We conclude that iron must therefore condense during its journey across the nightside.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2107-1

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