The Broadband Infrared Emission Spectrum of the Exoplanet TrES-3

Abstract

We use the Spitzer Space Telescope to estimate the dayside thermal emission of the exoplanet TrES-3 integrated in the 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 μm bandpasses of the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) instrument. We observe two secondary eclipses and find relative eclipse depths of 0.00346 ± 0.00035, 0.00372 ± 0.00054, 0.00449 ± 0.00097, and 0.00475 ± 0.00046, respectively, in the four IRAC bandpasses. We combine our results with the earlier K-band measurement of De Mooij et al., and compare them with models of the planetary emission. We find that the planet does not require the presence of an inversion layer in the high atmosphere. This is the first very strongly irradiated planet that does not have a temperature inversion, which indicates that stellar or planetary characteristics other than temperature have an important impact on temperature inversion. De Mooij & Snellen also detected a possible slight offset in the timing of the secondary eclipse in the K band. However, based on our four Spitzer channels, we place a 3σ upper limit of |ecos(ω)| < 0.0056, where e is the planet's orbital eccentricity and ω is the longitude of the periastron. This result strongly indicates that the orbit is circular, as expected from tidal circularization theory.

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