Early Release Science of the exoplanet WASP-39b with JWST NIRSpec PRISM

Author(s): Z. Rustamkulov, D. K. Sing, S. Mukherjee, E. M. May, J. Kirk, E. Schlawin, M. R. Line, C. Piaulet, A. L. Carter, N. E. Batalha, J. M. Goyal, M. López-Morales, J. D. Lothringer, R. J. MacDonald, S. E. Moran, K. B. Stevenson, H. R. Wakeford, N. Espinoza, J. L. Bean, N. M. Batalha, B. Benneke, Z. K. Berta-Thompson, I. J.M. Crossfield, P. Gao, L. Kreidberg, D. K. Powell, P. E. Cubillos, N. P. Gibson, J. Leconte, K. Molaverdikhani, N. K. Nikolov, V. Parmentier, P. Roy, J. Taylor, J. D. Turner, P. J. Wheatley, K. Aggarwal, E. Ahrer, M. K. Alam, L. Alderson, N. H. Allen, A. Banerjee, S. Barat, D. Barrado, J. K. Barstow, T. J. Bell, J. Blecic, J. Brande, S. Casewell, Q. Changeat, K. L. Chubb, N. Crouzet, T. Daylan, L. Decin, J. Désert, T. Mikal-Evans, A. D. Feinstein, L. Flagg, J. J. Fortney, J. Harrington, K. Heng, Y. Hong, R. Hu, N. Iro, T. Kataria, E. M.R. Kempton, J. Krick, M. Lendl, J. Lillo-Box, A. Louca, J. Lustig-Yaeger, L. Mancini, M. Mansfield, N. J. Mayne, Y. Miguel, G. Morello, K. Ohno, E. Palle, D. J.M. Petit dit de la Roche, B. V. Rackham, M. Radica, L. Ramos-Rosado, S. Redfield, L. K. Rogers, E. L. Shkolnik, J. Southworth, J. Teske, P. Tremblin, G. S. Tucker, O. Venot, W. C. Waalkes, L. Welbanks, X. Zhang, S. Zieba
Abstract: Transmission spectroscopy^1–3 of exoplanets has revealed signatures of water vapour, aerosols and alkali metals in a few dozen exoplanet atmospheres^4,5. However, these previous inferences with the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes were hindered by the observations’ relatively narrow wavelength range and spectral resolving power, which precluded the unambiguous identification of other chemical species—in particular the primary carbon-bearing molecules^6,7. Here we report a broad-wavelength 0.5–5.5 µm atmospheric transmission spectrum of WASP-39b⁸, a 1,200 K, roughly Saturn-mass, Jupiter-radius exoplanet, measured with the JWST NIRSpec’s PRISM mode⁹ as part of the JWST Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science Team Program^10–12. We robustly detect several chemical species at high significance, including Na (19σ), H₂O (33σ), CO₂ (28σ) and CO (7σ). The non-detection of CH₄, combined with a strong CO₂ feature, favours atmospheric models with a super-solar atmospheric metallicity. An unanticipated absorption feature at 4 µm is best explained by SO₂ (2.7σ), which could be a tracer of atmospheric photochemistry. These observations demonstrate JWST’s sensitivity to a rich diversity of exoplanet compositions and chemical processes.
Organisation(s): Department of Mathematics, Department of Astrophysics
External organisation(s): Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, University of California, Santa Cruz, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Imperial College London, University of Arizona, Arizona State University, National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA), Utah Valley University, University of Michigan, Cornell University, University of Bristol, Space Telescope Science Institute, University of Chicago, University of Colorado, Boulder, University of Kansas, Carnegie Institution for Science, Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, University of Dublin, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Université Côte d'Azur, University of Oxford, University of Warwick, Open University, University of Amsterdam (UvA), European Space Astronomy Centre (ESA), New York University Abu Dhabi, University of Leicester, University College London, University of St. Andrews, Leiden University, Princeton University, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, University of Central Florida, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), University of Maryland, College Park, Université de Genève, Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata", University of Exeter, SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research , Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands, University of La Laguna, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Wesleyan University, University of Cambridge, Keele University, Université de Versailles-Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Brown University, University of Montreal, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Indian Institute of Technology, Indore, Université de Paris, Université Paris XII - Paris-Est-Créteil-Val-de-Marne
Journal: Nature
Volume: 614
Pages: 659-663
No. of pages: 5
ISSN: 0028-0836
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05677-y
Publication date: 02-2023
Peer reviewed: Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012: 103004 Astrophysics
ASJC Scopus subject areas: General
Portal url: https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/65272b28-6fe8-4e3d-b136-69656aa08457

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