Imaging Cool Giant Planets in Reflected Light: Science Investigations and Synergy with Habitable Planets
astro-ph.EP
/ Authors
Mark Marley, Nikole Lewis, Giada Arney, Vanessa Bailey, Natasha Batalha, Charles Beichman, Björn Benneke, Jasmina Blecic, Kerri Cahoy, Jeffrey Chilcote
and 31 more authors
Shawn Domagal-Goldman, Courtney Dressing, Michael Fitzgerald, Jonathan Fortney, Richard Freedman, Dawn Gelino, John Gizis, Olivier Guyon, Thomas Greene, Heidi Hammel, Yasuhiro Hasegawa, Nemanja Jovanovic, Quinn Konopacky, Ravi Kopparapu, Michael Liu, Eric Lopez, Jonathan Lunine, Roxana Lupu, Bruce Macintosh, Kathleen Mandt, Christian Marois, Dimitri Mawet, Laura Mayorga
/ Abstract
Planned astronomical observatories of the 2020s will be capable of obtaining reflected light photometry and spectroscopy of cool extrasolar giant planets. Here we explain that such data are valuable both for understanding the origin and evolution of giant planets as a whole and for preparing for the interpretation of similar datasets from potentially habitable extrasolar terrestrial planets in the decades to follow.