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Paper: Atmospheric Dynamics of Two Eccentric Transiting Planets: GJ 436b and HD 17156b
Volume: 450, Molecules in the Atmospheres of Extrasolar Planets
Page: 71
Authors: Lewis, N. K.; Showman, A. P.; Fortney, J. J.; Marley, M. S.; Freedman, R. S.
Abstract: Extrasolar planets on eccentric orbits present a unique opportunity to study the effects of variable heating and non-synchronous rotation on the atmospheric dynamics of hot Jupiters and hot Neptunes. We present three-dimensional atmospheric circulation models that include realistic radiative transfer for two such extrasolar planets: GJ 436b (e=0.15) and HD17156b (e=0.67). GJ436b is one of the smallest transiting extrasolar planet known to date. Because of its size, it is likely to have an atmospheric composition more similar to Neptune (∼30x Solar), which has an effect on the radiative transfer and hence dynamics of the planet's atmosphere. HD17156b is a fairly massive Jupiter sized planet on a highly elliptical orbit. During its orbit, HD17156b passes through the radiative regime of both pM and pL Class planets as defined by Fortney et al. (2008), which makes it an ideal candidate to test the effects of TiO and VO in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets. We contrast the global circulation patterns and vertical thermal structures of these planets to those of HD189733b and HD209458b and postulate possible observational implications.
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