JWST-TST DREAMS: Non-Uniform Dayside Emission for WASP-17b from MIRI/LRS

TL;DR

This study presents the first mid-infrared spectroscopic characterization of WASP-17b's dayside atmosphere using JWST, revealing heat redistribution, atmospheric dynamics, and a possible water abundance, advancing understanding of hot Jupiter atmospheres.

Contribution

First spectroscopic analysis of WASP-17b's dayside atmosphere with JWST MIRI/LRS, including the creation of the first eclipse map to diagnose atmospheric dynamics.

Findings

Heat redistribution factor of 0.92±0.02 indicating inefficient heat transfer.

Detection of a day-night temperature contrast around 1000 K.

Eastward hotspot offset suggesting an equatorial jet.

Abstract

We present the first spectroscopic characterisation of the dayside atmosphere of WASP-17b in the mid-infrared using a single JWST MIRI/LRS eclipse observation. From forward-model fits to the 5-12 $\mu$m emission spectrum, we tightly constrain the heat redistribution factor of WASP-17b to be 0.92$\pm$0.02 at the pressures probed by this data, indicative of inefficient global heat redistribution. We also marginally detect a supersolar abundance of water, consistent with previous findings for WASP-17b, but note our weak constraints on this parameter. These results reflect the thermodynamically rich but chemically poor information content of MIRI/LRS emission data for high-temperature hot Jupiters. Using the eclipse mapping method, which utilises the signals that the spatial emission profile of an exoplanet imprints on the eclipse light curve during ingress/egress due to its partial occultation by the host star, we also construct the first eclipse map of WASP-17b, allowing us to diagnose its multidimensional atmospheric dynamics for the first time. We find a day-night temperature contrast of order 1000 K at the pressures probed by this data, consistent with our derived heat redistribution factor, along with an eastward longitudinal hotspot offset of $18.7^{+11.1\deg}_{-3.8}$, indicative of the presence of an equatorial jet induced by day-night thermal forcing being the dominant redistributor of heat from the substellar point. These dynamics are consistent with general circulation model predictions for WASP-17b. This work is part of a series of studies by the JWST Telescope Scientist Team (JWST-TST), in which we use Guaranteed Time Observations to perform Deep Reconnaissance of Exoplanet Atmospheres through Multi-instrument Spectroscopy (DREAMS).