James Webb Space Telescope Feed Post

Arxiv: The Unrealised Interdisciplinary Advantage of Observing High Mass Transiting Exoplanets and Brown Dwarfs -- Strategic Exoplanet Initiatives with HST and JWST White Paper Published: 8/14/2024 4:33:07 PM Updated: 8/14/2024 4:33:07 PM

Paper abstract: We advocate for further prioritisation of atmospheric characterisationobservations of high mass transiting exoplanets and brown dwarfs. Thispopulation acts as a unique comparative sample to the directly imaged exoplanetand brown dwarf populations, of which a range of JWST characterisationobservations are planned. In contrast, only two observations of transitingexoplanets in this mass regime were performed in Cycle 1, and none are plannedfor Cycle 2. Such observations will: improve our understanding of howirradiation influences high gravity atmospheres, provide insights towardsplanetary formation and evolution across this mass regime, and exploit JWST'sunique potential to characterise exoplanets across the known population.