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Untapped : Veloce detects calcium in the atmosphere of WASP-189b

Borsato, Nicholas W. LU orcid ; Krüger, Joachim ; Zucker, Daniel B. ; Murphy, Simon J. ; Wright, Duncan and Martell, Sarah L. (2025) In Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia 42.
Abstract

High-resolution transmission spectroscopy has become a powerful tool for detecting atomic and ionic species in the atmospheres of ultra-hot Jupiters. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that the Australian-built Veloce spectrograph on the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope can resolve atmospheric signatures from transiting exoplanets. We observed a single transit of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-189b – a favourable target given its extreme irradiation and bright host star – and applied the cross-correlation technique using standardised templates. We robustly detect ionised calcium (Ca+) and find evidence for hydrogen (H), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), neutral calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), ionised titanium... (More)

High-resolution transmission spectroscopy has become a powerful tool for detecting atomic and ionic species in the atmospheres of ultra-hot Jupiters. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that the Australian-built Veloce spectrograph on the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope can resolve atmospheric signatures from transiting exoplanets. We observed a single transit of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-189b – a favourable target given its extreme irradiation and bright host star – and applied the cross-correlation technique using standardised templates. We robustly detect ionised calcium (Ca+) and find evidence for hydrogen (H), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), neutral calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), ionised titanium (Ti+), ionised iron (Fe+), neutral iron (Fe), and ionised strontium (Sr+). The strongest detection was achieved in the red arm of Veloce, consistent with expectations due to the prominent Ca+ triplet at wavelengths around 850–870 nm. Our results validate Veloce’s capability for high-resolution atmospheric studies, highlighting it as an accessible, flexible facility to complement larger international telescopes. If future observations stack multiple transits, Veloce has the potential to reveal atmospheric variability, phase-dependent spectral changes, and detailed chemical compositions of highly irradiated exoplanets.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
instrumentation: spectrographs, Planets and satellites: atmospheres, planets and satellites: individual: WASP-189b, techniques: spectroscopic
in
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia
volume
42
article number
e134
publisher
CSIRO Publishing
external identifiers
  • scopus:105017454216
ISSN
1323-3580
DOI
10.1017/pasa.2025.10097
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
db79c945-21ec-4bbc-8617-5907078f79c4
date added to LUP
2025-12-08 12:02:38
date last changed
2025-12-08 12:03:11
@article{db79c945-21ec-4bbc-8617-5907078f79c4,
  abstract     = {{<p>High-resolution transmission spectroscopy has become a powerful tool for detecting atomic and ionic species in the atmospheres of ultra-hot Jupiters. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that the Australian-built Veloce spectrograph on the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope can resolve atmospheric signatures from transiting exoplanets. We observed a single transit of the ultra-hot Jupiter WASP-189b – a favourable target given its extreme irradiation and bright host star – and applied the cross-correlation technique using standardised templates. We robustly detect ionised calcium (Ca<sup>+</sup>) and find evidence for hydrogen (H), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), neutral calcium (Ca), titanium (Ti), ionised titanium (Ti<sup>+</sup>), ionised iron (Fe<sup>+</sup>), neutral iron (Fe), and ionised strontium (Sr<sup>+</sup>). The strongest detection was achieved in the red arm of Veloce, consistent with expectations due to the prominent Ca<sup>+</sup> triplet at wavelengths around 850–870 nm. Our results validate Veloce’s capability for high-resolution atmospheric studies, highlighting it as an accessible, flexible facility to complement larger international telescopes. If future observations stack multiple transits, Veloce has the potential to reveal atmospheric variability, phase-dependent spectral changes, and detailed chemical compositions of highly irradiated exoplanets.</p>}},
  author       = {{Borsato, Nicholas W. and Krüger, Joachim and Zucker, Daniel B. and Murphy, Simon J. and Wright, Duncan and Martell, Sarah L.}},
  issn         = {{1323-3580}},
  keywords     = {{instrumentation: spectrographs; Planets and satellites: atmospheres; planets and satellites: individual: WASP-189b; techniques: spectroscopic}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{CSIRO Publishing}},
  series       = {{Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia}},
  title        = {{Untapped : Veloce detects calcium in the atmosphere of WASP-189b}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/pasa.2025.10097}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/pasa.2025.10097}},
  volume       = {{42}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}