Constraints on Secondary Eclipse Probabilities of Long-Period Exoplanets from Orbital Elements

TL;DR

This paper calculates the probabilities of secondary eclipses for long-period exoplanets based on their orbital elements, aiding future observational efforts to study their atmospheres and internal structures.

Contribution

It provides a method to estimate secondary eclipse probabilities for long-period exoplanets, including cases with and without detected primary transits.

Findings

Probabilities tabulated for 40 high-transit-probability exoplanets.

Enhanced understanding of observational prospects for exoplanet atmospheres.

Framework applicable to future exoplanet characterization studies.

Abstract

Long-period transiting exoplanets provide an opportunity to study the mass-radius relation and internal structure of extrasolar planets. Their studies grant insights into planetary evolution akin to the Solar System planets, which, in contrast to hot Jupiters, are not constantly exposed to the intense radiation of their parent stars. Observations of secondary eclipses allow investigations of exoplanet temperatures and large-scale exo-atmospheric properties. In this short paper, we elaborate on, and calculate, probabilities of secondary eclipses for given orbital parameters, both in the presence and absence of detected primary transits, and tabulate these values for the forty planets with the highest primary transit probabilities.