Chromium hydride (CrH), a molecule that's relatively rare and particularly sensitive to temperature, is useful as a 'thermometer for stars,' according to astronomer Laura Flagg, because it's abundant only in a narrow range between 1,200–2,000 degrees Kelvin.
Now, Flagg and a Cornell-led team of researchers have confirmed, using high-resolution spectral observations, the presence of chromium hydride in anatmosphere of the hot Jupiter WASP-31b, opening the door to use this temperature-sensitive molecule species as a"thermometer" to determine the temperature and other characteristics in exoplanets.
The definitive detection of metal hydrides in WASP-31b is an important advancement in the understanding of hot giant planet atmospheres, Flagg said, although the discovery doesn't give new information about the individual planet. Discovered in 2011, WASP-31b orbits an F5 star once every 3.4 days. It has an extremely low density, even for a giant planet, and the new study confirms its equilibrium temperature at 1,400 Kelvin—in range for chromium hydride.
In her research, Flagg uses high-resolution spectroscopy to detect and analyze exoplanet atmospheres, comparing the overall light from the system when the planet is to the side of the star against when the planet is in front of the star, blocking some of the star's light. Certain elements block more light at certain wavelengths and less light at other wavelengths, revealing what elements are in the planet.
Chromium is rare, even at the right temperature, so researchers need sensitive instruments and telescopes, Flagg said.
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