Polarization of Trappist-1 by the Transit of its Planets

TL;DR

This paper explores how the transit of planets around Trappist-1 induces measurable polarization signals, proposing a new method to detect and study exoplanets around ultra-cool dwarfs using polarimetry.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed polarization profiles during planetary transits of Trappist-1, demonstrating the potential of polarimetry for exoplanet detection around ultra-cool dwarfs.

Findings

Transit polarization peaks at ingress and egress points.

Expected polarization signals are within current detection capabilities.

Polarimetry could be a new tool for characterizing small exoplanets.

Abstract

As the first and till date the only one multiple planet hosting dwarf star that is sufficiently cool to form condensate cloud in it atmosphere, Trappist-1 provides unique opportunity to test the efficiency of image polarimetry as a tool to detect and characterize exoplanets around L- and late M-dwarfs and Exomoons around directly imaged self-luminous giant exoplanets. Although scattering of light by atmospheric dust particles should produce significant amount of linear polarization in the far optical and near infra-red, the disk-averaged net detectable polarization of the star must be zero owing to spherical symmetry. However, the transit of its planets would give rise to significant asymmetry and produce phase-dependent polarization with the peak polarization occurring at the inner contact points of planetary transit ingress and egress epoch. Adopting the known stellar and planetary physical parameters and employing a self-consistent cloudy atmosphere model of M8 dwarf star, the transit polarization profiles and the expected amount of polarization of Trappist-1 during the transit phase of each individual planets as well as that during simultaneous transit of two planets are presented in this paper. It is emphasized that the amount of polarization expected is within the detection limit of a few existing facilities. If polarization is detected confirming the prediction, time resolved image polarimetry will emerge out as a potential tool to detect and characterize small planets around cloudy ultra-cool dwarfs.