Keywords

Carbon monoxide, Spectrum analysis

Abstract

Gas giant exoplanets known as hot Jupiters orbit close to their parent stars and are heated to high temperatures. Their infrared spectra, measured by photometry during secondary eclipses, are dominated by carbon monoxide and methane, the principle reservoirs of carbon on these planets. The relative CO and CH4 abundances inform us about temperature and pressure conditions and also about mixing by global winds driven by intense but asymmetric heating for these tidally locked bodies. Emission spectra collected during secondary eclipses, as the hot Jupiter passes behind its parent star, in principle allows a determination of the CO:CH4 concentration ratio. Since hot Jupiters exist at temperatures of order 700 K, accurate model atmospheres require high temperature line lists for relevant molecules, for which existing data bases are apparently incomplete. Since the outer atmospheres of hot Jupiters are bombarded by intense ultraviolet radiation and energetic particles, there may even be a significant degree of ionization and nonequilibrium populations among the various molecular levels. Here we present high temperature emission spectra of CO obtained from a microwave discharge plasma, where the source of CO was carbon dioxide that dissociates under microwave heating. The spectrum was measured in the range 1800-2400 cm-1 at a resolution of 0.1 cm-1 . Vibrational transitions originating in up to the 13th vibrational level of the X 1  + ground electronic term were observed. From the J values for maximum intensity lines within the rotational fine structure, we obtain a temperature estimate of ~700 K, which is comparable to the atmospheric conditions of hot-Jupiters.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2011

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Peale, Robert

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Physics

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0003981

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0003981

Language

English

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences, Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

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Included in

Physics Commons

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