New perspectives on MASCARA-1b: A combined analysis of pre- and post-eclipse emission data using CRIRES+

TL;DR

This study combines pre- and post-eclipse high-resolution emission spectra of MASCARA-1b to constrain its atmospheric composition, temperature-pressure profile, and chemical ratios, revealing consistent atmospheric properties over time and phases.

Contribution

It introduces a joint analysis of pre- and post-eclipse data using Bayesian retrievals to better understand atmospheric variability and composition of MASCARA-1b.

Findings

Detected CO and H2O emission signatures in post-eclipse data.

No significant atmospheric velocity shifts or phase-dependent changes observed.

Retrieved temperature and chemical ratios are consistent across datasets and chemical regimes.

Abstract

We present high-resolution emission spectroscopy observations of the ultra-hot Jupiter MASCARA-1b with CRIRES+ in the K-band, covering the post-eclipse phases of its orbit. These observations complement previously published pre-eclipse data. The stellar and telluric features were removed using SysRem, and the planetary signal was analysed with the cross-correlation technique. After confirming the presence of chemical species in our atmospheric model, we combined the pre- and post-eclipse datasets for a joint analysis. By employing a Bayesian retrieval framework, this joint retrieval enabled us to constrain the spatially varying temperature-pressure (T-P) profile and atmospheric carbon-to-oxygen (C/O) ratio. We detected strong emission signatures of CO and H$_2$O in the post-eclipse and combined datasets. While a well-mixed retrieval model results in a super-solar C/O, allowing for vertically varying chemistry yields C/O values consistent with solar. The retrieved parameters are not only consistent across the datasets but also across different chemical regimes. We did not identify any significant velocity shifts between the detected species or across the datasets, which could otherwise serve as proxies for possible atmospheric dynamics. We also explored phase dependence through the model scaling factor and found no substantial changes in atmospheric properties throughout the observed phases. Due to strong degeneracies between the temperature gradient and chemical abundances, our retrieved temperatures are broadly consistent with either a full redistribution of heat or strong day-night contrasts. While this complicates direct comparisons with recent Spitzer phase curve analyses suggesting inefficient recirculation, we find no clear evidence of spatial variation in the chemical or temperature structure of MASCARA-1b from pre- to post-eclipse, nor temporal variation over $\approx$2 years.