The Effects of Condensate Clouds on Hot Jupiter Phase Curves
Abstract
The ensemble of phase curve observations of hot Jupiters obtained to date seem to indicate the large-scale presence of clouds. However, the models that have typically been used to predict and interpret hot Jupiter phase curves result from cloud-free calculations. To investigate the effects of clouds on hot Jupiter phase curves, we run a suite of general circulation models (GCMs) for both clear and cloudy atmospheres over a range of irradiation temperatures and surface gravities. The cloudy GCMs include the radiative feedback effects of the clouds, which has previously been shown to significantly alter the planets' thermal structures and phase curve properties. Using a radiative transfer post-processing code, we generate a full suite of observables (i.e. thermal emission and scattered light phase curve spectra) for each hot Jupiter model. We find considerable deviation in the traditional phase curve metrics (day/night contrast and hotspot offset) between the cloudy and clear models. We compare our model results to existing phase curve observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope, and we offer up strategies for distinguishing between cloudy and clear hot Jupiter atmospheres with JWST.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #235
- Pub Date:
- January 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020AAS...23532104K