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Vertical structure of an exoplanet’s atmospheric jet stream

Seidel, Julia V. ; Prinoth, Bibiana LU orcid ; Pino, Lorenzo ; dos Santos, Leonardo A. ; Chakraborty, Hritam ; Parmentier, Vivien ; Sedaghati, Elyar ; Wardenier, Joost P. ; Farret Jentink, Casper and Zapatero Osorio, Maria Rosa , et al. (2025) In Nature 639(8056). p.902-908
Abstract

Ultra-hot Jupiters, an extreme class of planets not found in our Solar System, provide a unique window into atmospheric processes. The extreme temperature contrasts between their day and night sides pose a fundamental climate puzzle: how is energy distributed? To address this, we must observe the three-dimensional structure of these atmospheres, particularly their vertical circulation patterns that can serve as a testbed for advanced global circulation models, for example, in ref. 1. Here we show a notable shift in atmospheric circulation in an ultra-hot Jupiter: a unilateral flow from the hot star-facing side to the cooler space-facing side of the planet sits below an equatorial super-rotational jet stream. By resolving the... (More)

Ultra-hot Jupiters, an extreme class of planets not found in our Solar System, provide a unique window into atmospheric processes. The extreme temperature contrasts between their day and night sides pose a fundamental climate puzzle: how is energy distributed? To address this, we must observe the three-dimensional structure of these atmospheres, particularly their vertical circulation patterns that can serve as a testbed for advanced global circulation models, for example, in ref. 1. Here we show a notable shift in atmospheric circulation in an ultra-hot Jupiter: a unilateral flow from the hot star-facing side to the cooler space-facing side of the planet sits below an equatorial super-rotational jet stream. By resolving the vertical structure of atmospheric dynamics, we move beyond integrated global snapshots of the atmosphere, enabling more accurate identification of flow patterns and allowing for a more nuanced comparison to models. Global circulation models based on first principles struggle to replicate the observed circulation pattern2 underscoring a critical gap between theoretical understanding of atmospheric flows and observational evidence. This work serves as a testbed to develop more comprehensive models applicable beyond our Solar System as we prepare for the next generation of giant telescopes.

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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Nature
volume
639
issue
8056
pages
7 pages
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:39965655
  • scopus:105000476078
ISSN
0028-0836
DOI
10.1038/s41586-025-08664-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2025.
id
4ce2782c-3033-4c89-b3dd-56e28c1c83c0
date added to LUP
2025-08-22 13:27:04
date last changed
2025-08-22 13:34:59
@article{4ce2782c-3033-4c89-b3dd-56e28c1c83c0,
  abstract     = {{<p>Ultra-hot Jupiters, an extreme class of planets not found in our Solar System, provide a unique window into atmospheric processes. The extreme temperature contrasts between their day and night sides pose a fundamental climate puzzle: how is energy distributed? To address this, we must observe the three-dimensional structure of these atmospheres, particularly their vertical circulation patterns that can serve as a testbed for advanced global circulation models, for example, in ref. <sup>1</sup>. Here we show a notable shift in atmospheric circulation in an ultra-hot Jupiter: a unilateral flow from the hot star-facing side to the cooler space-facing side of the planet sits below an equatorial super-rotational jet stream. By resolving the vertical structure of atmospheric dynamics, we move beyond integrated global snapshots of the atmosphere, enabling more accurate identification of flow patterns and allowing for a more nuanced comparison to models. Global circulation models based on first principles struggle to replicate the observed circulation pattern<sup>2</sup> underscoring a critical gap between theoretical understanding of atmospheric flows and observational evidence. This work serves as a testbed to develop more comprehensive models applicable beyond our Solar System as we prepare for the next generation of giant telescopes.</p>}},
  author       = {{Seidel, Julia V. and Prinoth, Bibiana and Pino, Lorenzo and dos Santos, Leonardo A. and Chakraborty, Hritam and Parmentier, Vivien and Sedaghati, Elyar and Wardenier, Joost P. and Farret Jentink, Casper and Zapatero Osorio, Maria Rosa and Allart, Romain and Ehrenreich, David and Lendl, Monika and Roccetti, Giulia and Damasceno, Yuri and Bourrier, Vincent and Lillo-Box, Jorge and Hoeijmakers, H. Jens and Pallé, Enric and Santos, Nuno and Suárez Mascareño, Alejandro and Sousa, Sergio G. and Tabernero, Hugo M. and Pepe, Francesco A.}},
  issn         = {{0028-0836}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{8056}},
  pages        = {{902--908}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Nature}},
  title        = {{Vertical structure of an exoplanet’s atmospheric jet stream}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08664-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41586-025-08664-1}},
  volume       = {{639}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}