spectorscopy Archives

Figure reproduced from H. Toru Shay et al. (2025). The detected inventory of TMC–1 molecular species and their column densities is converted into numerical vectors with the VICGAE model. The vectorized strings and the corresponding column densities are then used to train a machine learning regressor. Through learning the relationship between vectorized molecular structures and their column densities, the model is optimized to find the best fit. Once trained, the best-fit model can predict column densities for new molecules and be used to identify potential detection targets in TMC–1. -- The Astrophysical Journal

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Bridging Machine Learning and Spectroscopy: A New Analysis for Astrochemical Target Selection

by Keith CowingOctober 27, 2025October 27, 2025

In the last few years, several approaches have used machine learning to reproduce the inventory and column densities of interstellar molecular sources.

The time evolution of the stellar spectra occulted by the planet as a function of orbital phase, in the wavelength range 5882–5902 Å, which includes the sodium doublet. The positions of the Na ilines are highlighted by vertical dotted lines. The horizontal white lines indicate the transit contacts, with solid white representing T1 and T4, and dashed gray representing T2 and T3 (from negative to positive values of phase). This map was constructed by subtracting the in-transit flux-weighted spectra from a reference out-of-transit spectrum. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Stellar Cartography

SOAPv4: A New Step Toward Modeling Stellar Signatures In Exoplanet Research

by Keith CowingOctober 22, 2025

We present and describe a new version of the spot oscillation and planet code, SOAPv4. Our aim is to demonstrate its capabilities in modeling stellar activity in the context of […]

H2 abundance constraints for TRAPPIST-1 e from HST and JWST as a function of surface pressure. Posterior distribution showcasing the improvement on constraints on possible H2-dominated atmospheres on TRAPPIST-1 e between HST (left in gray; obtained by applying our GP retrieval methodology to the HST/WFC3 data in Z. Zhang et al. 2018) and JWST (right in blue; obtained by applying it to the four NIRSpec/PRISM transits presented in this work). The distribution for HST mainly follows the centered log-ratio prior allowing the H2-dominated solution at virtually all pressures ≳1 bar; the JWST one disfavors the H2-dominated solution. -- IOPscience

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, TRAPPIST-1

JWST-TST DREAMS: NIRSpec/PRISM Transmission Spectroscopy of the Habitable Zone Planet TRAPPIST-1 e

by Keith CowingOctober 14, 2025October 14, 2025

TRAPPIST-1 e is one of the very few rocky exoplanets that is both amenable to atmospheric characterization and resides in the habitable zone of its star—located at a distance from […]

Results of the forward modeling of β Pic b using the most recent spectro/photometric observations of the planet (including CRIRES+) using BT-Settl. Top panel: spectra (points) and photometry (squares) of β Pic b alongside a Rλ ∼ 4 000 spectrum extracted using the best fit parameters for the inversion. Observations have been re-normalized using the analytic scaling factors computed during the inversion. Associated residuals are shown below. Dotted lines represents the ±σ (68%) confidence interval. Bottom sub-panels: zoom versions of the top panel on GRAVITY (upper left), SINFONI (upper right), CRIRES+-K (lower left) and CRIRES+-M (lower right). Similarly to Landman et al. (2024), each CRIRES+ spectra are shown smoothed by their retrieved broadening to show the planet features more clearly. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Beta Pictoris, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Multi-modal Atmospheric Characterization Of beta Pictoris b: Adding High-resolution Continuum Spectra From GRAVITY

by Keith CowingOctober 1, 2025October 1, 2025

We present the first VLTI/GRAVITY observations at Rλ∼4000 of β Pic b. These four high S/N (∼20) K-band spectra conserve both the pseudo-continuum and molecular absorption patterns.

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoabsorption Spectra of Icy Isoprene and its Oligomers

by Keith CowingSeptember 29, 2025September 29, 2025

Isoprene and its oligomers, terpenes, are expected to be present, along with other complex organic molecules, in the diverse environments of the ISM and in our solar system.

Simulated high-resolution spectra of the program star wasp-121 (an F-type star) and a G-type comparison star with a similar magnitude. The spectral resolution is degraded to 47,000, consistent with the Flames spectrograph. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

A Multi-object Approach For Studying Exoplanet Atmospheres Using High-resolution Spectrographs

by Keith CowingSeptember 26, 2025September 26, 2025

Atmospheric characterization of exoplanets has traditionally relied on Low-Resolution Transmission Spectroscopy (LRTS), obtained from both space- and ground-based facilities, as well as on High-Resolution Transmission Spectroscopy (HRTS).

MAP transmission spectra (R=500) for retrievals conducted with fixed Mp = 6.07M⊕, with a continuum constructed from Titan-like haze (K84; cyan) and ×1000Z⊙ haze case (H24; purple and red). -- astro-ph.EP

Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Hydrocarbon Hazes On Temperate Sub-Neptune K2-18b Supported By Data From The James Webb Space Telescope

by Keith CowingSeptember 16, 2025September 16, 2025

K2-18b, a sub-Neptune orbiting in the habitable zone of an M dwarf, has attracted significant interest following observations with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and, more recently, with the James […]

Left: Assumed temperature/pressure structure of the Venus atmosphere. Centre: The concentrations of condensed units ncond/n that deposit and are removed from the model when advancing to the next atmospheric height. Right: Element abundances with respect to oxygen ϵk/ϵO remaining in the gas phase. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Venus

Prediction Of Sulphate Hazes In The Lower Venus Atmosphere

by Keith CowingAugust 30, 2025August 30, 2025

We study the amount, size distribution and material composition of (sub-)mic aerosol particles in the lower Venus atmosphere < 50 km.

Detection maps of β Pic b with MATISSE. The maps show the reduced χ2 values after fitting the stellar contamination for each tested planet astrometry (∆α, ∆δ) in the grid. The grids are centered on MATISSE’s pointing during the planet observations. The left map is the size of the pinhole (1.5λ/D at 3.5 µm) and has a resolution of 1 mas. The right map was generated at higher resolution (0.1 mas) on a smaller 20×20 mas grid. The most likely astrometry from the MATISSE observations is shown as a blue ellipse, found by fitting a 2D Gaussian curve on the lowest χ2r peak. The planet location and uncertainties predicted by whereistheplanet from the orbital fitting of GRAVITY observations (Lacour et al. 2021) are shown as a green ellipse. The multiplicity of χ2r peaks is due to the interferometric nature of our data. As coherent flux is periodic as a function of α. ⃗ ⃗u (see Eq. (7)), an infinity of astrometric solutions can reproduce the signal. This degeneracy gradually disappears when combining data from different baseline lengths and orientations. The χ2r of neighbour peaks can nonetheless still remain close. Using covariances between baselines and wavelengths could help increase the difference between peaks, and will be studied in a future work. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Beta Pictoris, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

The Mid-infrared Spectrum Of Beta Pictoris b. First VLTI/MATISSE Interferometric Observations Of An Exoplanet

by Keith CowingAugust 29, 2025August 29, 2025

Few spectra of directly-imaged exoplanets have been obtained in the mid-infrared (> 3 μm). This region is particularly rich in molecular spectral signatures, whose measurements can help recover atmospheric parameters […]

Exoplanet atmosphere -- NASA larger image

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

The Diversity Of Exoplanetary Environments And The Search For Signs Of Life Beyond Earth

by Keith CowingAugust 8, 2025

Thousands of exoplanets orbit nearby stars, showcasing a remarkable diversity in mass, size and orbits.

spectorscopy

Bridging Machine Learning and Spectroscopy: A New Analysis for Astrochemical Target Selection

SOAPv4: A New Step Toward Modeling Stellar Signatures In Exoplanet Research

JWST-TST DREAMS: NIRSpec/PRISM Transmission Spectroscopy of the Habitable Zone Planet TRAPPIST-1 e

Multi-modal Atmospheric Characterization Of beta Pictoris b: Adding High-resolution Continuum Spectra From GRAVITY

Vacuum Ultraviolet Photoabsorption Spectra of Icy Isoprene and its Oligomers

A Multi-object Approach For Studying Exoplanet Atmospheres Using High-resolution Spectrographs

Hydrocarbon Hazes On Temperate Sub-Neptune K2-18b Supported By Data From The James Webb Space Telescope

Prediction Of Sulphate Hazes In The Lower Venus Atmosphere

The Mid-infrared Spectrum Of Beta Pictoris b. First VLTI/MATISSE Interferometric Observations Of An Exoplanet

The Diversity Of Exoplanetary Environments And The Search For Signs Of Life Beyond Earth

Sulfate Deposits On Iani Chaos On Mars

Correlations Between The Carbon-to-Oxygen Ratio and the Orbital and Physical Properties of Exoplanets

Pathways Of Early Evolution From The Perspectives Of A Riboreplisome — The Ultimate RNA Machine Of Life

On The Compositions Of Interstellar Objects

Planets Around Solar Twins/Analogs (PASTA) III: Chemical Clock Relations in Planet-Hosting Solar Analogs