Evaporation of hot Jupiters: observations and models
Abstract
We report the detection of the exosphere of the extrasolar planet HD209458b through transmission spectroscopy with the HST. The extra-absorptions measured during the transit in hydrogen, oxygen and carbon imply that the atmosphere is evaporating through an hydrodynamic "blow--off" mechanism. The escape rate and the lifetime of hot Jupiters are estimated from a particular modeling. It is suggested that some of the less massive known exoplanets could be the dense cores remnants of such an evaporation process.
- Publication:
-
Tenth Anniversary of 51 Peg-b: Status of and prospects for hot Jupiter studies
- Pub Date:
- February 2006
- Bibcode:
- 2006tafp.conf..226F