Detection of an Atmosphere on a Rocky Exoplanet

@article{Swain2021DetectionOA,
  title={Detection of an Atmosphere on a Rocky Exoplanet},
  author={Mark R. Swain and Raissa Estrela and Gael M. Roudier and Christophe Sotin and Paul B. Rimmer and Adriana Valio and Robert West and Kyle Pearson and Noah Huber-Feely and Robert T. Zellem},
  journal={The Astronomical Journal},
  year={2021},
  volume={161}
}
We report the detection of an atmosphere on a rocky exoplanet, GJ 1132 b, which is similar to Earth in terms of size and density. The atmospheric transmission spectrum was detected using Hubble WFC3 measurements and shows spectral signatures of aerosol scattering, HCN, and CH4 in a low mean molecular weight atmosphere. We model the atmospheric loss process and conclude that GJ 1132 b likely lost the original H/He envelope, suggesting that the atmosphere that we detect has been reestablished. We… 
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18 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
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Background Citations
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Methods Citations
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Results Citations
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18 Citations

Detectable Abundance of Cyanoacetylene (HC3N) Predicted on Reduced Nitrogen-rich Super-Earth Atmospheres
We predict that cyanoacetylene (HC3N) is produced photochemically in the atmosphere of GJ 1132 b in abundances detectable by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), assuming that the atmosphere is…
The Featureless HST/WFC3 Transmission Spectrum of the Rocky Exoplanet GJ 1132b: No Evidence for a Cloud-free Primordial Atmosphere and Constraints on Starspot Contamination
Orbiting an M dwarf 12 pc away, the transiting exoplanet GJ 1132b is a prime target for transmission spectroscopy. With a mass of 1.7 M ⊕ and radius of 1.1 R ⊕, GJ 1132b’s bulk density indicates that…
ARES. V. No Evidence For Molecular Absorption in the HST WFC3 Spectrum of GJ 1132 b
We present a study on the spatially scanned spectroscopic observations of the transit of GJ 1132 b, a warm (∼500 K) super-Earth (1.13 R ⊕) that was obtained with the G141 grism (1.125–1.650 μm) of…
The case and context for atmospheric methane as an exoplanet biosignature
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We report a model study on the effects of clouds on emission spectra of super-Venus planets. Our goal is to assess possible ways to identify characteristic spectral features due to clouds. We show…
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