Bibcode
Rouan, D.; Deeg, H. J.; Demangeon, O.; Samuel, B.; Cavarroc, C.; Fegley, B.; Léger, A.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal Letters, Volume 741, Issue 2, article id. L30 (2011).
Advertised on:
11
2011
Citations
49
Refereed citations
43
Description
The Kepler mission has made an important observation: the first
detection of photons from a terrestrial planet by observing its phase
curve (Kepler-10b). This opens a new field in exoplanet science: the
possibility of obtaining information about the atmosphere and surface of
rocky planets, objects of prime interest. In this Letter, we apply the
Lava-ocean model to interpret the observed phase curve. The model, a
planet without atmosphere and a surface partially made of molten rocks,
has been proposed for planets of the class of CoRoT-7b, i.e., rocky
planets very close to their star (at a few stellar radii). Kepler-10b is
a typical member of this family. It predicts that the light from the
planet has an important emission component in addition to the reflected
one, even in the Kepler spectral band. Assuming an isotropical
reflection of light by the planetary surface (Lambertian-like
approximation), we find that a Bond albedo of ~50% can account for the
observed amplitude of the phase curve, as opposed to a first attempt
where an unusually high value was found. We propose a physical process
to explain this still large value of the albedo. The overall
interpretation can be tested in the future with instruments such as the
James Webb Space Telescope or the Exoplanet Characterization
Observatory. Our model predicts a spectral dependence that is clearly
distinguishable from that of purely reflected light and from that of a
planet at a uniform temperature.
Related projects
Helio and Astero-Seismology and Exoplanets Search
The principal objectives of this project are: 1) to study the structure and dynamics of the solar interior, 2) to extend this study to other stars, 3) to search for extrasolar planets using photometric methods (primarily by transits of their host stars) and their characterization (using radial velocity information) and 4) the study of the planetary
Savita
Mathur