ExoGemS Detection of a Metal Hydride in an Exoplanet Atmosphere at High Spectral Resolution

Exoplanet atmosphere studies are often enriched by synergies with brown dwarf analogs. However, many key molecules commonly seen in brown dwarfs have yet to be confirmed in exoplanet atmospheres. An important example is chromium hydride (CrH), which is often used to probe atmospheric temperatures an...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Astrophysical journal. Letters 2023-08, Vol.953 (2), p.L19
Main Authors: Flagg, Laura, Turner, Jake D., Deibert, Emily, Ridden-Harper, Andrew, de Mooij, Ernst, MacDonald, Ryan J., Jayawardhana, Ray, Gibson, Neale, Langeveld, Adam, Sing, David
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analogs
Atmosphere
Atmospheric temperature
Brown dwarf stars
Chromium
Exoplanet atmospheres
Exoplanets
Extrasolar planets
Gas giant planets
High resolution spectroscopy
Jupiter
Metal hydrides
Planetary atmospheres
Spectral resolution
Transmission spectroscopy
Very Large Telescope
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Summary:Exoplanet atmosphere studies are often enriched by synergies with brown dwarf analogs. However, many key molecules commonly seen in brown dwarfs have yet to be confirmed in exoplanet atmospheres. An important example is chromium hydride (CrH), which is often used to probe atmospheric temperatures and classify brown dwarfs into spectral types. Recently, tentative evidence for CrH was reported in the low-resolution transmission spectrum of the hot Jupiter WASP-31b. Here, we present high spectral resolution observations of WASP-31b’s transmission spectrum from GRACES/Gemini North and UVES/Very Large Telescope. We detect CrH at 5.6 σ confidence, representing the first metal hydride detection in an exoplanet atmosphere at high spectral resolution. Our findings constitute a critical step in understanding the role of metal hydrides in exoplanet atmospheres.
ISSN:2041-8205
2041-8213
DOI:10.3847/2041-8213/ace529