Probing Exoplanet Atmospheres through Stellar Occultations: A Case Study of WASP-32b

Abstract

The study of exoplanets provides crucial insights into the nature of planetary atmospheres and orbital dynamics. Transit photometry and secondary eclipse observations have become revolutionary tools in this field. This case study focuses on WASP-32b, a hot Jupiter orbiting an F-type star about 950 light years away in the constellation Pisces. Our objective is to probe the atmospheric and orbital characteristics of WASP-32b through light curve analysis. Data were collected from both ground-based and space-based observatories. SuperWASP-South at the South African Astronomical Observatory first detected WASP-32b using transit photometry. The Swiss Euler Telescope at La Silla Observatory and its CORALIE spectrograph provided radial velocity confirmation, planetary mass, and orbital parameters. Space telescopes contributed complementary data: the Spitzer Space Telescope measured secondary eclipse photometry in the infrared (3.6 µm and 4.5 µm), constraining thermal emission and albedo, while TESS delivered high-precision optical transit data that refined planetary radius and orbital period. Analysis of these datasets reveals signatures of thermal emission, constraints on reflective properties, and preliminary indications of atmospheric circulation. The results underline the importance of multi-wavelength light curves for atmospheric characterization and establish WASP-32b as a significant benchmark for understanding hot Jupiter systems