The First Precise Atmospheric Metallicity Measurement for a Sub-Jovian Exoplanet

First submission, Apr 6 1692085769 Assigned ID: 164 ----- Attempting Submission 1 (Wed Apr 06 20:24:16 GMT 2016) ----- visit 53 created as a HOPR repeat of visit 03 841359819 ----- Attempting Submission 1 (Tue Jul 19 19:43:44 GMT 2016) ----- ----- Attempting Submission 2 (Tue Aug 23 22:22:09 GMT 2016) ----- ----- Attempting Submission 3 (Tue Aug 30 16:29:22 GMT 2016) ----- ----- Attempting Submission 4 (Mon Nov 07 18:11:53 GMT 2016) ----- The First Precise Atmospheric Metallicity Measurement for a Sub-Jovian Exoplanet A central prediction of the core accretion model of planet formation is that atmospheric metallicity should increase with decreasing planet mass. This prediction is born out in the Solar System, where a clear anti-correlation between planet mass and atmospheric metallicity is observed. Exoplanets offer the potential to determine if this fundamental trend is a universal outcome of the planet formation process. We have recently succeeded in measuring the atmospheric metallicities of gas giant exoplanets using HST transit spectroscopy observations. These first results offer the tantalizing suggestion that the trend seen in the Solar System is also discernable in extrasolar systems. We propose here to extend our study of atmospheric metallicity vs. planet mass in to a new regime by measuring a precise atmospheric metallicity of a Neptune-sized exoplanet. We will measure the transmission spectrum of HAT-P-11b between 0.8 and 1.1 microns by observing five transits of the planet using the WFC3 instrument and G102 grism. These observations will complement existing data between 1.1 and 1.7 microns obtained with the standard G141 grism, which show a strong water absorption feature. The unique combined dataset spanning three bands of water will enable us to break the degeneracy between clouds and metallicity that typically plague the interpretation of transmission spectra. This project will yield the first precise atmospheric metallicity measurement for a sub-Jovian exoplanet, and will be the first to demonstrate a modeling technique that will be crucial for the interpretation of JWST transmission spectra. This program is focused on transit observations of the exoplanet HAT-P-11b. There will be five visits of four orbits each. The sequence for each visit will be two orbits out of transit, one orbit in transit (transit duration is 141 minutes), and one orbit out of transit. All visits will be done with the G102 grism and using bi-directional spatial scanning. Each orbit begins with a direct image through the F126N filter for wavelength calibration. All observations are using the GRISM256 subarray. The observations must be precisely scheduled to catch the eclipses. I have given a +/- 10 minute window on the phase constraint and used the schedulability=30 for this first submission. Extrasolar Planets and Planet Formation 12 false false false false false false SUPPORTED STAR EXTRA-SOLAR PLANETARY SYSTEM K V-IV This object was generated by the targetselector and retrieved from the SIMBAD database. J2000 J2000 H=7.13 WFC3/IR Spectroscopic No No G102 1471990825348 The scheduling data was generated by CASM 24.2. 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