Multiple Clues for Dayside Aerosols and Temperature Gradients in WASP-69 b from a Panchromatic JWST Emission Spectrum

TL;DR

This study presents JWST emission spectra of WASP-69 b revealing atmospheric aerosols, temperature inhomogeneity, and chemical compositions, challenging cloud-free models and suggesting complex atmospheric processes.

Contribution

It introduces three novel atmospheric models incorporating aerosols and inhomogeneity to better fit JWST spectra of WASP-69 b, highlighting the importance of aerosols in exoplanet atmospheres.

Findings

Aerosols are essential to fit the spectrum.

Inhomogeneous dayside distribution indicated.

Heavy element enrichment and specific C/O ratios inferred.

Abstract

WASP-69 b is a hot, inflated, Saturn-mass planet 0.26 Mjup with a zero-albedo equilibrium temperature of 963 K. Here, we report the JWST 2 to 12 um emission spectrum of the planet consisting of two eclipses observed with NIRCam grism time series and one eclipse observed with MIRI LRS. The emission spectrum shows absorption features of water vapor, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, but no strong evidence for methane. WASP-69 b's emission spectrum is poorly fit by cloud-free homogeneous models. We find three possible model scenarios for the planet: 1) a Scattering Model that raises the brightness at short wavelengths with a free Geometric Albedo parameter 2) a Cloud Layer model that includes high altitude silicate aerosols to moderate long wavelength emission and 3) a Two-Region model that includes significant dayside inhomogeneity and cloud opacity with two different temperature-pressure profiles. In all cases, aerosols are needed to fit the spectrum of the planet. The Scattering model requires an unexpectedly high Geometric Albedo of 0.64. Our atmospheric retrievals indicate inefficient redistribution of heat and an inhomogeneous dayside distribution, which is tentatively supported by MIRI LRS broadband eclipse maps that show a central concentration of brightness. Our more plausible models (2 and 3) retrieve chemical abundances enriched in heavy elements relative to solar composition by 6x to 14x solar and a C/O ratio of 0.65 to 0.94, whereas the less plausible highly reflective scenario (1) retrieves a slightly lower metallicity and lower C/O ratio.