A survey of exoplanet phase curves with Ariel
Abstract
The ESA-Ariel mission will include a tier dedicated to exoplanet phase curves corresponding to ∼10 % of the science time. We present here the current observing strategy for studying exoplanet phase curves with Ariel. We define science questions, requirements and a list of potential targets. We also estimate the precision of phase curve reconstruction and atmospheric retrieval using simulated phase curves. Based on this work, we found that full-orbit phase variations for 35-40 exoplanets could be observed during the 3.5-yr mission. This statistical sample would provide key constraints on atmospheric dynamics, composition, thermal structure and clouds of warm exoplanets, complementary to the scientific yield from spectroscopic transits/eclipses measurements.
- Publication:
-
Experimental Astronomy
- Pub Date:
- April 2022
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s10686-021-09715-x
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2102.06523
- Bibcode:
- 2022ExA....53..417C
- Keywords:
-
- Exoplanets;
- Ariel space mission;
- Atmospheres;
- Phase curves;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 27 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Experimental Astronomy, Ariel Special Issue