Probing Atmospheric Chemical Processes with Warm Jupiter Observations

Transmission observations of transiting exoplanets allow us to constrain the composition of their atmospheres.  In particular, the GIANO-B high-resolution spectrograph can probe a wide range of the near-infrared spectrum with unprecedented detail (0.9--2.45 microns), being able to test for the presence of several molecular species such as H2O, CO, CO2, CH4, HCN, NH3, and C2H2. The simultaneous detection of multiple carbon-, oxygen-, and nitrogen-bearing species places direct constraints to infer which chemical processes shape the observed composition of a planetary atmosphere, allowing us to study them in an unprecedented manner.
Warm Jupiters, having equilibrium temperatures near the CO--CH4 equal-abundance boundary (~1000 K), have atmospheric compositions particularly sensitive to temperature, and are thus favorable for characterization. Here we will employ physically motivated models to explore the atmospheric condition and chemical processes of recent GIANO-B observations that show a rich chemistry in carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen species.  In particular we will contrast the impact of equilibrium/disequilibrium processes and variable C/O ratios, and their consequences on the planet observable spectra.