Speaker
Description
It is only mildly controversial to insist that planets are three-dimensional. Whether or not 1D models can adequately be used to interpret exoplanet observations depends on some combination of how much spatial inhomogeneity exists on a planet and how sensitive the data are to its 3D structure. For atmospheric characterization using high resolution spectroscopy, our highest signal-to-noise targets are (ultra) hot Jupiters and these planets have huge spatial inhomogeneities. We are increasingly recognizing that these planets’ 3D properties influence, and are constrained by, high resolution spectroscopy in both transmission and emission. I will discuss hot Jupiter 3D atmospheric structure, including the pieces of complicated physics we are working to unravel, and briefly show how our expectations change as we move beyond the hot Jupiter population. I will then review the multiple ways in which 3D structures show up in high resolution spectroscopy, through spatial variations in physical properties and atmospheric winds. I will highlight the current edge of our capabilities and speculate about how this field may advance in the future.
