# Understanding Exoplanet Atmospheres with UV Observations II: The Far UV and Atmospheric Escape

## TL;DR

This paper emphasizes the importance of far-UV observations for understanding exoplanet atmospheres, especially for detecting atmospheric escape and complementing infrared data for a complete atmospheric characterization.

## Contribution

It highlights the scientific value of far-UV observations in exoplanet atmospheric studies, particularly for atmospheric escape and composition analysis.

## Key findings

- Far-UV observations can identify atmospheric escape and mass loss.
- UV data helps distinguish hazy from clear atmospheres.
- Complementary UV and infrared observations provide a comprehensive atmospheric picture.

## Abstract

Much of the focus of exoplanet atmosphere analysis in the coming decade will be at infrared wavelengths, with the planned launches of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST). However, without being placed in the context of broader wavelength coverage, especially in the optical and ultraviolet, infrared observations produce an incomplete picture of exoplanet atmospheres. Scattering information encoded in blue optical and near-UV (NUV) observations can help determine whether muted spectral features observed in the infrared are due to a hazy/cloudy atmosphere, or a clear atmosphere with a higher mean molecular weight. Farther into the UV, observations can identify atmospheric escape and mass loss from exoplanet atmospheres, providing a greater understanding of the atmospheric evolution of exoplanets, along with composition information from above the cloud deck. In this white paper we focus on the science case for exoplanet observations in the far-UV (FUV); an accompanying white paper led by Jessie Christiansen will focus on the science case in the near-UV (NUV) and blue/optical.