Phase-resolved high-resolution spectroscopy of CoRoT-2b measures sub-synchronous rotation at 2.6-sigma significance, consistent with its western hotspot offset.
Helium in the eroding atmosphere of an exoplanet
4 Pith papers cite this work. Polarity classification is still indexing.
abstract
Helium is the second-most abundant element in the Universe after hydrogen and is one of the main constituents of gas-giant planets in our Solar System. Early theoretical models predicted helium to be among the most readily detectable species in the atmospheres of exoplanets, especially in extended and escaping atmospheres. Searches for helium, however, have hitherto been unsuccessful. Here we report observations of helium on an exoplanet, at a confidence level of 4.5 standard deviations. We measured the near- infrared transmission spectrum of the warm gas giant WASP-107b and identified the narrow absorption feature of excited metastable helium at 10,833 angstroms. The amplitude of the feature, in transit depth, is 0.049 +/- 0.011 per cent in a bandpass of 98 angstroms, which is more than five times greater than what could be caused by nominal stellar chromospheric activity. This large absorption signal suggests that WASP-107b has an extended atmosphere that is eroding at a total rate of 10^10 to 3 x 10^11 grams per second (0.1-4 per cent of its total mass per billion years), and may have a comet-like tail of gas shaped by radiation pressure.
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astro-ph.EP 4years
2026 4verdicts
UNVERDICTED 4representative citing papers
Water- and metal-rich atmospheres on compact hot mini-Neptunes lose mass more slowly than H/He cases at high enrichment levels due to enhanced cooling and higher mean molecular weight.
Including tidal and centrifugal gravity corrections increases retrieved molecular abundances in transmission spectra retrievals for WASP-12b (HST) and WASP-39b (JWST).
Detection and characterization of two eccentric warm Jupiters TOI-2147 b (P=26.2 d, e=0.29, M=116 M⊕) and TOI-6019 b (P=14.5 d, e=0.48, M=149 M⊕) with TESS and MaHPS data, showing mildly inflated radii consistent with tidal heating.
citing papers explorer
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Unraveling the Mystery of the Peculiar and Young Hot Jupiter CoRoT-2b II: Phase Resolved Emission Spectroscopy with VLT/CRIRES+ and Gemini-S/IGRINS
Phase-resolved high-resolution spectroscopy of CoRoT-2b measures sub-synchronous rotation at 2.6-sigma significance, consistent with its western hotspot offset.
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Escape of Water- and Metal-enriched Atmospheres from compact Hot mini-Neptunes with CHAIN
Water- and metal-rich atmospheres on compact hot mini-Neptunes lose mass more slowly than H/He cases at high enrichment levels due to enhanced cooling and higher mean molecular weight.
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Effect of tidal gravity and planetary rotation on the retrieved atmospheric abundances of close-in exoplanets
Including tidal and centrifugal gravity corrections increases retrieved molecular abundances in transmission spectra retrievals for WASP-12b (HST) and WASP-39b (JWST).
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TOI-2147 b and TOI-6019 b: Two eccentric warm Jupiters detected and characterized with TESS and MaHPS
Detection and characterization of two eccentric warm Jupiters TOI-2147 b (P=26.2 d, e=0.29, M=116 M⊕) and TOI-6019 b (P=14.5 d, e=0.48, M=149 M⊕) with TESS and MaHPS data, showing mildly inflated radii consistent with tidal heating.