Diurnal variations in the stratosphere of the ultrahot giant exoplanet WASP-121b

TL;DR

This study presents spectroscopic phase curve measurements of exoplanet WASP-121b, revealing diurnal variations in stratospheric temperature profiles driven by chemical processes, with implications for cloud formation and atmospheric dynamics.

Contribution

First to measure diurnal temperature variations in an ultrahot exoplanet's stratosphere using spectroscopic phase curves, linking chemical equilibrium with observed temperature profiles.

Findings

Dayside stratosphere warms with altitude, nightside cools.

Water dissociates on the dayside and recombines on the nightside.

Refractory species may form clouds on the nightside.

Abstract

The temperature profile of a planetary atmosphere is a key diagnostic of radiative and dynamical processes governing the absorption, redistribution, and emission of energy. Observations have revealed dayside stratospheres that either cool or warm with altitude for a small number of gas giant exoplanets, while other dayside stratospheres are consistent with constant temperatures. Here we report spectroscopic phase curve measurements for the gas giant WASP-121b, which constrain stratospheric temperatures throughout the diurnal cycle. Variations measured for a water vapour spectral feature reveal a temperature profile that transitions from warming with altitude on the dayside hemisphere to cooling with altitude on the nightside hemisphere. The data are well explained by models assuming chemical equilibrium, with water molecules thermally dissociating at low pressures on the dayside and recombining on the nightside. Nightside temperatures are low enough for perovskite (CaTiO3) to condense, which could deplete titanium from the gas phase and explain recent non-detections at the day-night terminator. Nightside temperatures are also consistent with the condensation of refractory species such as magnesium, iron, and vanadium. Detections of these metals at the day-night terminator suggest, however, that if they do form nightside clouds, cold trapping does not efficiently remove them from the upper atmosphere. Horizontal winds and vertical mixing could keep these refractory condensates aloft in the upper atmosphere of the nightside hemisphere until they are recirculated to the hotter dayside hemisphere and vaporised.