How EChO Will Characterize Gas Giant Exoplanet Atmospheres

EChO's view on gas giant exoplanets atmospheres

Authors:

Parmentier et al

Abstract:

The last decade has seen the discovery of more than a thousand exoplanets but, more excitingly, probing their atmospheres has become possible. With current data we caught a glimpse of the diversity of exoplanet atmospheres that will be revealed in the next years. However, numerous questions concerning their chemical composition, thermal structure, and atmospheric dynamics remain to be answered. More observations of higher quality are needed. The Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory (EChO) is a space-based observatory dedicated to the characterization of exoplanets atmospheres proposed to the ESA cosmic vision program. With its large spectral coverage (4-16 {\mu}m) and high spectral resolution (\Delta{\lambda}/{\lambda} greater than 300 below 5 {\mu}m and \Delta{\lambda}/{\lambda} greater than 30 above 5 {\mu}m) EChO will provide spectrally resolved transit lightcurves, secondary eclipses lightcurves, and full phase curves of numerous exoplanets with an unprecedented signal to noise ratio. In this technical note we review some of today's main scientific questions about gas giant exoplanets atmospheres, for which EChO will bring a decisive contribution.