Understanding the diversity of exo-atmospheres, from hot to ultra-hot Jupiters

Presenter: Vivien PARMENTIER
Abstract:
With more than fifty exo-atmospheres characterised with either ground or space based observatories, the field of exoclimatology has moved forward in the past decade. Transmission spectrum, emission spectrum and phase curves allow us to glimpse the 3D structure of these atmospheres. The observations have unveiled the diversity of these worlds : whereas clouds obscure our view of the coolest hot Jupiters, the hottest ones are hot enough for their molecules to dissociate on their dayside. Understanding the physical mechanisms at play in these atmospheres is key to properly interpret the observations and retrieve precise atmospheric abundances from their observed spectrum. As bigger telescopes and better instruments are about to be used to observe exoplanets, both big and small, a global understanding of their atmosphere becomes even more crucial to avoid biases and false alarms when measuring atmospheric abundances.