The Need for Laboratory Measurements and Ab Initio Studies to Aid Understanding of Exoplanetary Atmospheres
2019
We are now on a clear trajectory for improvements in
exoplanetobservations that will revolutionize our ability to characterize their atmospheric structure, composition, and circulation, from
gas giantsto rocky planets. However,
exoplanet
atmospheric modelscapable of interpreting the upcoming observations are often limited by insufficiencies in the laboratory and theoretical data that serve as critical inputs to
atmospheric physicaland chemical tools. Here we provide an up-to-date and condensed description of areas where laboratory and/or ab initio investigations could fill critical gaps in our ability to model
exoplanetatmospheric opacities, clouds, and chemistry, building off a larger 2016
white paper, and endorsed by the NAS
ExoplanetScience Strategy report. Now is the ideal time for progress in these areas, but this progress requires better access to, understanding of, and training in the production of spectroscopic data as well as a better insight into chemical reaction kinetics both thermal and radiation-induced at a broad range of temperatures. Given that most published efforts have emphasized relatively Earth-like conditions, we can expect significant and enlightening discoveries as emphasis moves to the exotic atmospheres of
exoplanets.
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