HST-COS Transit Spectroscopy of KELT-20b: First Detection of Excess Far-ultraviolet Absorption From an Ultra-hot Jupiter

TL;DR

This study presents the first far-ultraviolet spectroscopic observations of the ultra-hot Jupiter KELT-20b, revealing increased transit depth at shorter wavelengths and tentative detection of specific ions, enhancing understanding of its upper atmosphere.

Contribution

It provides the first FUV spectroscopic data of KELT-20b, detecting excess absorption and potential ions, which offers new insights into the atmospheric composition of ultra-hot Jupiters.

Findings

FUV transit depth increases at shorter wavelengths.

Tentative detection of Fe II and N I ions.

No evidence of molecular absorption or hydrodynamic escape.

Abstract

KELT-20 b is an ultra-hot Jupiter with an equilibrium temperature of $2260$ K orbiting a bright (V =7.6), fast-rotating ($v\sin{i}$=117 km s$^{-1}$) A2 V star. The atmosphere of KELT-20 b has been studied extensively via transmission spectroscopy at optical wavelengths, showing strong hydrogen absorption as well as metals including Na I, Ca II, Fe I, Fe II, Mg I, Si I and Cr II. The atmospheric and ionization conditions of this planet may differ from Jupiter-mass exoplanets due to the relatively weak extreme-ultraviolet radiation from its host star, as the stellar dynamo that generates chromospheric and coronal activity is thought to shut down at spectral types earlier than A4. We present the first spectroscopic observations of KELT-20 b in the far-ultraviolet using the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, searching for previously undetected low-ionization and neutral atoms in the upper atmosphere. We find that the FUV transit depth increases with decreasing wavelengths, from $1.88\pm0.04$\% at 1600--1760 {\AA} to $2.28\pm0.04$\% at 1410--1570 {\AA}, yielding planetary radii of $0.1139\pm0.06$ $R_*$ and $0.1222\pm0.07$ $R_*$, respectively. We report tentative detections of Fe II and N I at $2.4\sigma$ each, and non-detections of C I, S I, Al II, and Si II. We find no evidence for molecular absorption from CO or H$_2$ and no sign of hydrodynamic escape.