Spectroscopy Archives

True N2-dominated planet-to-star flux ratio spectrum with an assumed S/N = 20 (red) plotted against 1000 randomly sampled retrieved spectra with 95% confidence intervals. The blue spectrum is the median spectrum created from the 1000 plotted model runs that make up our confidence interval. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Constraining Background N2 Inventories On Directly Imaged Terrestrial Exoplanets To Rule Out O2 False Positives

by Keith CowingNovember 24, 2023November 24, 2023

Direct imaging spectroscopy with future space-based telescopes will constrain terrestrial planet atmospheric composition and potentially detect biosignature gases. One promising indication of life is abundant atmospheric O2.

Emission of SO, SiS, and SO2 integrated in velocity. Upper panels: velocity-integrated emission of, from left to right, SO N = 3 − 2, N = 2 − 1(2), N = 2 − 1(3), and N = 4 − 4 (see Table 1 for the spectral parameters). The integration velocity range is 85.7–105.8 km s−1 in all images to match the velocity interval where the PN emission is detected. The black contours start from the 3σ rms level of the integrated maps, which is, from left to right: 4.8 × 10−2 Jy beam−1 km s−1 ; 2.5 × 10−2 Jy beam−1 km s−1 ; 3.6 × 10−2 Jy beam−1 km s−1 ; 2.7 × 10−2 Jy beam−1 km s−1 , and the step is of 10σ rms. The white contour corresponds to the PN integrated emission, and the numbered regions "1" and "2" are those defined in Fig. 1. The synthesised beam is illustrated in the lower-left corner. To the right of the quantum numbers, we indicate the Eup of the transition. Lower panels: same as the upper panels for the SiS J = 5 − 4 and J = 6 − 5 lines, and the SO2 JKa,Kb = 31,3 − 20,2 and JKa,Kb = 101,9 − 100,10 lines. The 3σ rms level is: 2.9 × 10−2 Jy beam−1 km s−1 for SiS J = 5 − 4; 2.3 × 10−2 Jy beam−1 km s−1 for SiS J = 6 − 5; 2.95 × 10−3 Jy beam−1 km s−1 for SO2 JKa,Kb = 31,3 − 30,2; 1 × 10−2 Jy beam−1 km s−1 for SO2 JKa,Kb = 101,9 − 100,10. -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

The GUAPOS Project: G31.41+0.31 Unbiased ALMA Spectral Observational Survey. IV. Phosphorus-bearing Molecules And Their Relation With Shock Tracers

by Keith CowingNovember 24, 2023November 24, 2023

The astrochemistry of the important biogenic element phosphorus (P) is still poorly understood, but observational evidence indicates that P-bearing molecules are likely associated with shocks.

Detection of the planet using model templates of the full planet, H2O and CO using cross-correlation (top row) and the likelihood ratio (bottom row). The radial velocity is shown here in the barycentric restframe. In the top panel we also show the cross-correlation value for a reference spectrum, which was taken at the same separation on the other side of the star. In the bottom panels we indicate the location of the star and the planet and the expected velocity of the planet. -- astro-ph.IM

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

β Pictoris b Through The Eyes Of The Upgraded CRIRES+

by Keith CowingNovember 24, 2023November 24, 2023

Context: High-resolution spectrographs fed by adaptive optics (AO) provide a unique opportunity to characterize directly imaged exoplanets. Observations with such instruments allow us to probe the atmospheric composition, spin rotation, […]

Evolution of the S/N (relative to its maximum) with the spectral resolution, for a fixed number of pixels (3300 pixels per spectrum here, corresponding to the case of HARMONI) and a correspondingly variable bandwidth. The largest spectral range is set to cover the H and K bands H (from 1 µm to 2.8 µm) for three different templates of planets signature. These maps include only the photon noise, not considering any wavelength-dependant instrumental transmission, which makes this result quite generic, informative of the planetary spectra properties and not of the instrument specificities. Three different planet temperatures are considered: 500 K (left), 1200 K (middle) and 1700 K (right). -- astro-ph.IM

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

Exoplanets Detection Limits Using Spectral Cross-correlation With Spectro-imaging. An Analytical Model Applied To The Case Of ELT-HARMONI

by Keith CowingNovember 24, 2023November 23, 2023

The combination of high-contrast imaging and medium to high spectral resolution spectroscopy offers new possibilities for the detection and characterization of exoplanets. The molecular mapping technique uses the difference between […]

Examples of median-averaged IFU slices obtained with the G235M grating setting for Patroclus and Eurybates. The slices are projected onto the sky plane, with the x and y coordinates corresponding to right ascension and declination, respectively. A logarithmic stretch has been applied to the flux scaling in order to accentuate the detailed structure of the target PSFs at wide separations. The PSF of the Patroclus binary shows an extended shape. The black boxes denote the extraction regions used in producing the spectra. The faint background source near Patroclus lies in a region of the field of view that was masked during our spectral extraction. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

JWST Near-infrared Spectroscopy Of The Lucy Jupiter Trojan Flyby Targets: Evidence For OH Absorption, Aliphatic Organics, And CO2

by Keith CowingNovember 23, 2023November 22, 2023

We present JWST/NIRSpec observations of the five Jupiter Trojans that will be visited by the Lucy spacecraft — the Patroclus–Menoetius binary, Eurybates, Orus, Leucus, and Polymele.

An artist’s rendering of the warm exoplanet WASP-80 b whose color may appear bluish to human eyes due to the lack of high-altitude clouds and the presence of atmospheric methane identified by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, similar to the planets Uranus and Neptune in our own solar system. Image credit: NASA.

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release

Methane And Water Found In The Atmosphere Of Exoplanet WASP-80 b

by Keith CowingNovember 22, 2023November 22, 2023

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope observed the exoplanet WASP-80 b as it passed in front of and behind its host star, revealing spectra indicative of an atmosphere containing methane gas […]

Top-Down view of the HISPEC RSPEC Spectrograph including the integrating sphere and flat-fielding light path -- astro-ph.EP

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

Calibration Unit Design for High-Resolution Infrared Spectrograph for Exoplanet Characterization (HISPEC)

by Keith CowingNovember 20, 2023November 20, 2023

The latest generation of high-resolution spectrograph instruments on 10m-class telescopes continue to pursue challenging science cases. Consequently, ever more precise calibration methods are necessary to enable trail-blazing science methodology.

Optical spectrum of comet 46P/Wirtanen observed from Mt. Abu observatory. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

Optical Spectroscopy Of Comets

by Keith CowingNovember 20, 2023November 20, 2023

Comets are pristine remnants of the Solar system, composed of dust and ice. They remain inactive and undetectable for most of their orbit due to low temperatures. However, as they […]

NOEMA 3 mm-band spectral surveys of APM 08279+5255 and NCv1.143, shown as the blue and violet spectra, respectively. For visualization purposes, the spectrum of NCv1.143 has been shifted up by 2 mJy. Both spectra are binned to 50 MHz (about 150 km s−1) to highlight the line detection. Error bars are indicated by thin lines (the same color as the spectra) overlaid on the spectra. Black dashed lines identify the lines detected in both sources, while orange dashed lines highlight the lines that are only detected in one of the two sources. The line names are labeled above the dashed lines. The peak values indicated for CO(3–2), CO(4–3), and [C I](1-0) emission lines in NCv1.143 are the true peak values before the 2 mJy shift, and they are outside the box of the figure. A zoom-in version is provided in Fig. A.1 -- astro-ph.GA

Astrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report

SUNRISE: The Rich Molecular Inventory Of High-redshift Dusty Galaxies Revealed By Broadband Spectral Line Surveys

by Keith CowingNovember 17, 2023November 17, 2023

Understanding the nature of high-z dusty galaxies requires a comprehensive view of their ISM and molecular complexity. However, the molecular ISM at high-z is commonly studied using only a few […]

Implementation of the FIM inside the IFS arm of SPHERE. On the left drawing, the SPHERE components are labelled in black, while the FIM components are labelled in red. The inset in the top right shows the components of the core optics bench. The light path in the system is fully illustrated in Vigan et al. (2022b, their Fig. 3). The picture on the right shows the FIM at the end of the installation in SPHERE. The IFS Lyot wheel is visible in the bottom left of the picture. -- astro-ph.EP

Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

First Light of VLT/HiRISE: High-resolution Spectroscopy Of Young Giant Exoplanets

by Keith CowingNovember 17, 2023

A major endeavor of this decade is the direct characterization of young giant exoplanets at high spectral resolution to determine the composition of their atmosphere and infer their formation processes […]

Spectroscopy

Constraining Background N2 Inventories On Directly Imaged Terrestrial Exoplanets To Rule Out O2 False Positives

The GUAPOS Project: G31.41+0.31 Unbiased ALMA Spectral Observational Survey. IV. Phosphorus-bearing Molecules And Their Relation With Shock Tracers

β Pictoris b Through The Eyes Of The Upgraded CRIRES+

Exoplanets Detection Limits Using Spectral Cross-correlation With Spectro-imaging. An Analytical Model Applied To The Case Of ELT-HARMONI

JWST Near-infrared Spectroscopy Of The Lucy Jupiter Trojan Flyby Targets: Evidence For OH Absorption, Aliphatic Organics, And CO2

Methane And Water Found In The Atmosphere Of Exoplanet WASP-80 b

Calibration Unit Design for High-Resolution Infrared Spectrograph for Exoplanet Characterization (HISPEC)

Optical Spectroscopy Of Comets

SUNRISE: The Rich Molecular Inventory Of High-redshift Dusty Galaxies Revealed By Broadband Spectral Line Surveys

First Light of VLT/HiRISE: High-resolution Spectroscopy Of Young Giant Exoplanets

Planetary Protection Directive From NASA Administrator Isaacman

An Earth-like Planet With Two Suns?

Uncatalyzed Guanosine Phosphorylation under Potentially Prebiotic Conditions

Ammonia And An Unexpected Chill Discovered On Distant Giant Planet HATS-6 b

NASA Spaceline Current Awareness List #1,218 25 September 2026 (Space Life Science Research Results)