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Super-Earths transiting nearby bright stars are key objects that simultaneously allow for accurate measurements of both their mass and radius, providing essential constraints on their internal composition. We present the confirmation, based on Spitzer observations, that the super-Earth HD 97658 b transits its host star. HD 97658 is a low-mass (M* = 0.77 ± 0.05 M⊙) K1 dwarf, as determined from the Hipparcos parallax and stellar evolution modeling. To constrain the planet parameters, we carry out Bayesian global analyses of Keck-HIRES radial velocities, and MOST and Spitzer photometry. HD 97658 b is a massive (MP = 7.55−0.79+0.83 M⊕) and large (RP = 2.247−0.095+0.098 R⊕ at 4.5 μm super-Earth. We investigate the possible internal compositions for HD 97658 b. Our results indicate a large rocky component, by at least 60% by mass, and very little H-He components, at most 2% by mass. We also discuss how future asteroseismic observations can improve the knowledge of the HD 97658 system, in particular by constraining its age.

We present the status of an ongoing program which aim at measuring occultations by their parent stars of transiting hot giant exoplanets discovered recently by Kepler. The observations are obtained in the near infrared with WarmSpitzer Space Telescope and at optical wavelengths by combining more than a year of Kepler photometry. The investigation consists of measuring the mid-occultation times and the relative occultation depths in each band-passes. Our measurements of occultations depths in the Kepler bandpass is turned into the determination of the optical geometric albedo Ag in this wavelength domain. The brightness temperatures of these planets are deduced from the infrared observations. We combine the optical and near infrared planetary emergent fluxes to obtain broad band emergent spectra of individual planet. We finally compare these spectra to hot Jupiter atmospheric models in order broadly distinguishing these atmospheres between different classes of models.

We report a detection of thermal emission from the hot Jupiter WASP-48b in the Ks-band. We used the Wide-field Infra-red Camera on the 3.6-m Canada-France Hawaii Telescope to observe an occultation of the planet by its host star. From the resulting occultation lightcurve we find a planet-to-star contrast ratio in the Ks-band of 0.136 ± 0.014%, in agreement with the value of 0.109 ± 0.027% previously determined. We fit the two Ks-band occultation lightcurves simultaneously with occultation lightcurves in the H-band and the Spitzer 3.6- and 4.5-μm bandpasses, radial velocity data, and transit lightcurves. From this, we revise the system parameters and construct the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the dayside atmosphere. By comparing the SED with atmospheric models, we find that both models with and without a thermal inversion are consistent with the data. We find the planet’s orbit to be consistent with circular (e < 0.072 at 3σ). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Observations of secondary eclipses of hot Jupiters allow one to measure the dayside thermal emission from the planets' atmospheres. The combination of ground-based near-infrared observations and space-based observations at longer wavelengths constrains the atmospheric temperature structure and chemical composition. Aims. This work aims at detecting the thermal emission of WASP-5b, a highly irradiated dense hot Jupiter orbiting a G4V star every 1.6 days, in the J, H and K near-infrared photometric bands. The spectral energy distribution is used to constrain the temperature-pressure profile and to study the energy budget of WASP-5b. Methods. We observed two secondary-eclipse events of WASP-5b in the J, H, K bands simultaneously using the GROND instrument on the MPG/ESO 2.2 m telescope. The telescope was in nodding mode for the first observation and in staring mode for the second observation. The occultation light curves were modeled to obtain the flux ratios in each band, which were then compared with atmospheric models. Results. Thermal emission of WASP-5b is detected in the J and K bands in staring mode. The retrieved planet-to-star flux ratios are 0.168-0.052+0.050% in the J band and 0.269 ± 0.062% in the K band, corresponding to brightness temperatures of 2996 -261+212 K and 2890-269+246 K, respectively. No thermal emission is detected in the H band, with a 3σ upper limit of 0.166% on the planet-to-star flux ratio, corresponding to a maximum temperature of 2779 K. On the whole, our J, H, K results can be explained by a roughly isothermal temperature profile of ∼2700 K in the deep layers of the planetary dayside atmosphere that are probed at these wavelengths. Together with Spitzer observations, which probe higher layers that are found to be at ∼1900 K, a temperature inversion is ruled out in the range of pressures probed by the combined data set. While an oxygen-rich model is unable to explain all the data, a carbon-rich model provides a reasonable fit but violates energy balance. The nodding-mode observation was not used for the analysis because of unremovable systematics. Our experience reconfirms that of previous authors: staring-mode observations are better suited for exoplanet observations than nodding-mode observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The observation of carbon-rich disks have motivated several studies questioning the influence of the C/O ratio on their gas phase composition in order to establish the connection between the metallicity of hot-Jupiters and that of their parent stars. Aims. We propose a method that allows the characterization of the adopted C/O ratio in protoplanetary disks independently from the determination of the host star composition. Titanium and vanadium chemistries are investigated because they are strong optical absorbers and also because their oxides are known to be sensitive to the C/O ratio in some exoplanet atmospheres. Methods. We use a commercial package based on the Gibbs energy minimization technique to compute the titanium and vanadium equilibrium chemistries in protoplanetary disks for C/O ratios ranging from 0.05 to 10. Our calculations are performed for pressures in the 10-6-10-2 bar domain, and for temperatures ranging from 50 K to 2000 K. Results. We find that the vanadium nitride/vanadium oxide and titanium hydride/titanium oxide gas phase ratios strongly depend on the C/O ratio in the hot parts of disks (T ≥ 1000 K). Our calculations suggest that, in these regions, these ratios can be used as tracers of the C/O value in protoplanetary disks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]