UV absorption by silicate cloud precursors in ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-178b

Joshua D. Lothringer (), David K. Sing (), Zafar Rustamkulov, Hannah R. Wakeford, Kevin B. Stevenson, Nikolay Nikolov, Panayotis Lavvas, Jessica J. Spake and Autumn T. Winch
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Joshua D. Lothringer: Utah Valley University
David K. Sing: Johns Hopkins University
Zafar Rustamkulov: Johns Hopkins University
Hannah R. Wakeford: University of Bristol, HH Wills Physics Laboratory
Kevin B. Stevenson: Johns Hopkins University
Nikolay Nikolov: Space Telescope Science Institute
Panayotis Lavvas: Université de Reims, Champagne-Ardenne, CNRS UMR F-7331
Jessica J. Spake: California Institute of Technology
Autumn T. Winch: Bryn Mawr College

Nature, 2022, vol. 604, issue 7904, 49-52

Abstract: Abstract Aerosols have been found to be nearly ubiquitous in substellar atmospheres1–3. The precise temperature at which these aerosols begin to form in exoplanets has yet to be observationally constrained. Theoretical models and observations of muted spectral features indicate that silicate clouds play an important role in exoplanets between at least 950 and 2,100 K (ref. 4). Some giant planets, however, are thought to be hot enough to avoid condensation altogether5,6. Here we report the near-ultraviolet transmission spectrum of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-178b (approximately 2,450 K), which exhibits substantial absorption. Bayesian retrievals indicate the presence of gaseous refractory species containing silicon and magnesium, which are the precursors to condensate clouds at lower temperatures. SiO, in particular, has not previously, to our knowledge, been detected in exoplanets, but the presence of SiO in WASP-178b is consistent with theoretical expectations as the dominant Si-bearing species at high temperatures. These observations allow us to re-interpret previous observations of HAT-P-41b and WASP-121b that did not consider SiO, to suggest that silicate cloud formation begins on exoplanets with equilibrium temperatures between 1,950 and 2,450 K.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04453-2

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