Light curves, Spherical and Bond albedos of Jupiter, Saturn, and exoplanets.

Abstract:

We estimate how the light curve and stellar light reflection of a planet depends on forward and backward scattering, which was observed on Jupiter and Saturn. We fit analytical scattering phase function to Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft observations of Jupiter at 0.64 μm and Saturn at 0.64 and 0.44 μm and to Cassini spacecraft observations of Jupiter at 0.938 μm atmospheric window, 0.889 μm CH4 absorption band, and 0.258 μm UV filter. Using scattering ray-tracing model of a planet by Dyudina et al. (2005)*, the images of the planets with different scattering properties are simulated to calculate the reflected luminosity as it varies with scattering phase to produce full-orbit light curves. We compare the light curve shapes and total reflection integrated in all directions (spherical albedos) for Jupiter and Saturn with the ones for planets with Lambertian and semi-infinite Rayleigh-scattering atmosphere. Saturn-like and especially Jupiter-like atmosphere produces light curves that are several times fainter at half-phase than does a Lambertian planet, given the same brightness at transit. The spherical albedo (and hence the wavelengh-integrated Bond albedo) is lower than for a Lambertian planet. Corresponding absorption of the stellar light and planet’s heating rate would be higher than estimated for Lambertian planets, especially for bright planets. In extreme case of Jupiter-like scattering at 0.64 μm Lambertian assumption can overestimate spherical albedo by a factor of ∼1.5. We will discuss how the light curves and absorption for planets covered by atmospheres would differ from the light curves of rocky planet without atmosphere.

* Dyudina, U. A., et al., Phase Light Curves for Extrasolar Jupiters and Saturns. ApJ, 618, 973–986, 2005