Inferring heat recirculation and albedo for exoplanetary atmospheres: Comparing optical phase curves and secondary eclipse data

Basic atmospheric properties such as albedo and heat redistribution between day and nightside have been inferred for a number of planets using observations of secondary eclipses and thermal phase curves. Optical phase curves have not yet been used to constrain these atmospheric properties consistently. We re-model previously published phase curves of CoRoT-1b, TrES-2b and HAT-P-7b and infer albedos and recirculation efficiencies. These are then compared to previous estimates based on secondary eclipse data. We use a physically consistent model to construct optical phase curves. This model takes Lambertian reflection, thermal emission, ellipsoidal variations and Doppler boosting into account. CoRoT-1b shows a non-negligible scattering albedo (0.11
Comment: accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics on Dec 14th, main manuscript: 16 pages, 20 figures, 2 tables. Contains 5 Appendices