2006/09/01 by Nassim Bozorgnia, Jonathan J. Fortney, Chris McCarthy +3 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Exoplanet #Photometry (optics) #Physics #Planet #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #Spectral line #Stars #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Super-Earth #Transit (satellite) #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/508237
8 pages, 10 figures, 2 tables
openalex publication_date 2006/09/01 · arxiv created 2006/09/18 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
HD 149026b is a short‐period, Saturn‐mass planet that transits a metal‐rich star. The planet's radius, determined by photometry, is remarkably small compared to other known transiting planets, with a heavy‐element core that apparently comprises ∼70% of the total planet mass. Time‐series spectra were obtained at Keck before and during transit in order to model the Rossiter‐McLaughlin effect. Here we make use of these observations to carry out a differential comparison of spectra obtained in and out of transit to search for signatures of neutral atomic lithium and potassium from the planet atmosphere. No signal was detected at the 2% level; we therefore place upper limits on the column density of these atoms.