No Thick Atmosphere on the Terrestrial Exoplanet Gl 486b

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

A primary science goal for JWST is to detect and characterize the atmospheres of terrestrial planets orbiting M dwarfs (M-Earths). The existence of atmospheres on M-Earths is highly uncertain because their host stars’ extended history of high X-ray and ultraviolet irradiation may act to completely remove their atmospheres. We present two JWST secondary eclipse observations of the M-Earth Gl 486b (also known as GJ 486b) between 5 and 12 μm. We combined these observations with a precise analysis of the host star parameters to derive a planetary dayside temperature of T p = 865 ± 14 K. We compared this temperature to the maximum expected temperature for a zero albedo, zero heat redistribution bare rock and derived a temperature ratio of R=Tp,daysideTp,max=0.97±0.01 . This value is consistent with an airless body with a slight nonzero albedo or a thin atmosphere with <1% H2O or <1 ppm CO2. However, it is inconsistent with an Earth- or Venus-like atmosphere, and the spectrum shows no clear emission or absorption features. Additionally, our observations are inconsistent with the water-rich atmospheric scenario allowed by previous transit observations and suggest the transmission spectrum was instead shaped by stellar contamination. Given the potential for atmospheric escape throughout the system’s ≥6.6 Gyr lifetime, we conclude that the observations are likely best explained by an airless planet. This result is the most precise measurement yet of terrestrial exoplanet thermal emission with JWST, which places a strong constraint on the position of the “cosmic shoreline” between airless bodies and those with atmospheres.