Emergent Exoplanet Flux: Review of the Spitzer Results

TL;DR

This review summarizes Spitzer Space Telescope's groundbreaking observations of exoplanet atmospheres, revealing their temperature, composition, and dynamics, and discusses the robustness and implications of these findings.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of Spitzer's exoplanet flux observations, highlighting key results and identifying areas needing further research.

Findings

First detections of photons from exoplanets

Insights into atmospheric temperature and composition

Understanding of atmospheric dynamics

Abstract

Observations using the Spitzer Space Telescope provided the first detections of photons from extrasolar planets. Spitzer observations are allowing us to infer the temperature structure, composition, and dynamics of exoplanet atmospheres. The Spitzer studies extend from many hot Jupiters, to the hot Neptune orbiting GJ436. Here I review the current status of Spitzer secondary eclipse observations, and summarize the results from the viewpoint of what is robust, what needs more work, and what the observations are telling us about the physical nature of exoplanet atmospheres.