The pepsi exoplanet transit survey (PETS) I: Investigating the presence of a silicate atmosphere on the super-earth 55 Cnc e
Date Issued
2022
Author(s)
Keles, Engin
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Mallonn, Matthias
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Kitzmann, Daniel
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Poppenhaeger, Katja
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Hoeijmakers, H. Jens
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Ilyin, Ilya
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Alexoudi, Xanthippi
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Carroll, Thorsten A.
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Alvarado-Gomez, Julian
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Ketzer, Laura
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•
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Gaudi, Scott
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Henning, Thomas
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Malavolta, Luca
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Molaverdikhani, Karan
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Patience, Jennifer
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Schlawin, Everett
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Shkolnik, Evgenya
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Foster, Mary G.
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Veillet, Christian
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Wang, Ji
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Yan, Fei
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Strassmeier, Klaus G.
Abstract
The study of exoplanets and especially their atmospheres can reveal key insights on their evolution by identifying specific atmospheric species. For such atmospheric investigations, high-resolution transmission spectroscopy has shown great success, especially for Jupiter-type planets. Towards the atmospheric characterization of smaller planets, the super-Earth exoplanet 55 Cnc e is one of the most promising terrestrial exoplanets studied to date. Here, we present a high-resolution spectroscopic transit observation of this planet, acquired with the PEPSI instrument at the Large Binocular Telescope. Assuming the presence of Earth-like crust species on the surface of 55 Cnc e, from which a possible silicate-vapor atmosphere could have originated, we search in its transmission spectrum for absorption of various atomic and ionized species such as Fe , Fe +, Ca , Ca +, Mg and K , among others. Not finding absorption for any of the investigated species, we are able to set absorption limits with a median value of 1.9 × RP. In conclusion, we do not find evidence of a widely extended silicate envelope on this super-Earth reaching several planetary radii....
Volume
513
Issue
1
Start page
1544
Issn Identifier
0035-8711
Rights
open.access
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