The atmospheric composition of TOI-270 d

TL;DR

This study uses JWST transit spectroscopy to analyze TOI-270 d's atmosphere, confirming it is H2-rich and consistent with a Hycean world, while refining molecular detections and atmospheric conditions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive retrieval analysis of TOI-270 d's atmosphere, resolving previous uncertainties and refining molecular abundance constraints using recent JWST data.

Findings

Confirmed H2-rich atmosphere with molecular ratios

Detected methane, carbon dioxide, water, and sulfur compounds

Revised temperature estimate of approximately 323 K

Abstract

The first explorations of temperate sub-Neptune exoplanets have been the hallmark of early JWST observations. The bulk properties of such planets are consistent with a range of possible internal structures, which can be distinguished through their interactions with the observable atmospheres. JWST observations of TOI-270 d, a temperate sub-Neptune, have previously led to contrasting conclusions: either a Hycean world, possessing a liquid water ocean, or a mixed-envelope sub-Neptune, where high temperatures prevent a liquid ocean and lead to a high mean molecular weight atmosphere. In order to resolve this uncertainty, we present a comprehensive retrieval analysis of TOI-270 d using recent NIRISS and NIRSpec transit spectroscopy across $\sim$1-5 $\mu$m. We find that prior inferences of a mixed envelope were affected by specific modelling choices leading to a high terminator temperature and high mean-molecular weight in the atmosphere. We confirm an H$_2$-rich atmosphere in TOI-270 d and present revised constraints on the molecular log-mixing ratios and maximal detection significances of CH$_4$ at $-1.86^{+0.30}_{-0.29}$ (6.4 $\sigma$), CO$_2$ at $-1.71^{+0.38}_{-0.66}$ (3.9 $\sigma$), H$_2$O at $-1.88^{+0.78}_{-4.13}$ (2.1 $\sigma$) and CS$_2$ at $-4.74^{+0.65}_{-1.10}$ (2.0 $\sigma$), with a terminator temperature of $323^{+58}_{-52}$ K at 10 mbar. We also find tentative evidence for more complex methyl-bearing species such as C$_2$H$_6$ and/or DMS at a 2.1-2.5 $\sigma$ level. The present constraints are consistent with TOI-270 d being a Hycean or dark Hycean world, with planet-wide or nightside liquid water oceans. However, more observations are required to verify the present findings and robustly constrain the atmospheric conditions and internal structure of TOI-270 d.