A Search for Variability in a Young Planet
Abstract
Variability attributed to cloud structure already appears to be a persistent feature for L and T type field brown dwarfs. Directly imaged planets occupy the same temperature regime as L and T type brown dwarfs and are likely to be equally variable. We propose mid-IR variability monitoring for the young free-floating planet CFHTWIR-Oph33 (<0.5 Myr, ~6 MJup). Such variability is predicted due to rotationally-modulated cloud features. These observations will probe weather conditions on a directly imaged exoplanet for the first time, providing benchmark data for ongoing development of multidimensional cloud modeling approaches. These variability monitoring observations are only possible with Spitzer and are a pilot study for future variability monitoring with JWST-MIRI of directly imaged exoplanets around young stars.
- Publication:
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Spitzer Proposal
- Pub Date:
- October 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013sptz.prop10061B