Aeolus: A Markov--Chain Monte Carlo code for mapping ultracool atmospheres. An application on Jupiter and brown dwarf HST light curves

TL;DR

Aeolus is a novel MCMC code that maps ultracool atmospheres, validated on Jupiter and brown dwarf light curves, revealing atmospheric features and their evolution.

Contribution

Introduces Aeolus, the first MCMC-based mapping code validated on actual giant planet observations over a full rotation period.

Findings

Aeolus accurately retrieves major atmospheric features of Jupiter.

The code successfully maps spots on brown dwarfs with specific surface coverage.

Jupiter HST light curves will be publicly available.

Abstract

Deducing the cloud cover and its temporal evolution from the observed planetary spectra and phase curves can give us major insight into the atmospheric dynamics. In this paper, we present Aeolus, a Markov-Chain Monte Carlo code that maps the structure of brown dwarf and other ultracool atmospheres. We validated Aeolus on a set of unique Jupiter Hubble Space Telescope (HST) light curves. Aeolus accurately retrieves the properties of the major features of the jovian atmosphere such as the Great Red Spot and a major 5um hot spot. Aeolus is the first mapping code validated on actual observations of a giant planet over a full rotational period. For this study, we applied Aeolus to J and H-bands HST light curves of 2MASSJ21392676+0220226 and 2MASSJ0136565+093347. Aeolus retrieves three spots at the top-of-the-atmosphere (per observational wavelength) of these two brown dwarfs, with a surface coverage of 21+-3% and 20.3+-1.5% respectively. The Jupiter HST light curves will be publicly available via ADS/VIZIR.