Spitzer Space Telescope - General Observer Proposal #80132


Detecting the Signature of Eccentric Exoplanets During Periastron Passage

Principal Investigator: Stephen Kane
           Institution: California Institute of Technology

     Technical Contact: Stephen Kane, California Institute of Technology

Co-Investigators: 
Dawn Gelino, NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Caltech                
Diana Dragomir, NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Caltech             
Andrew Howard, UC Berkeley                                            
Heather Knutson, UC Berkeley                                          
Jessica Krick, Spitzer Science Center, Caltech                        
Gregory Laughlin, UC Santa Cruz                                       
Suvrath Mahadevan, Pennsylvania State University                      
Kaspar von Braun, NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Caltech           
Jason Wright, Pennsylvania State University                           

Science Category: extrasolar planets 
 Observing Modes: IRAC Post-Cryo Mapping
  Hours Approved: 50.0 

Abstract:
Characterization of exoplanets has matured in recent years, particularly through
studies of exoplanetary atmospheres of transiting planets at infra-red
wavelenegths. A relatively unexplored region of exoplanet parameter space is the
thermal detection of long-period eccentric planets during periastron passage.
Detection of these signatures reveals important information on the albedo,
radiative time constant, and heat redistribution efficiency of giant planetary
atmospheres under these extreme conditions. Here we propose to monitor three
such exoplanets whose orbital parameters have already been refined to great
precision. The results of this study will constrain heat signatures from these
planets and be used in building atmospheric models for planets which undergo
large changes in flux.