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Exo-lightning radio emission: The case study of HAT-P-11b

    G. HODOSÁN, CH. HELLING, P. B. RIMMER

Planetary Radio Emissions VIII, pp. 345-356, 2018/08/16

Proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on Planetary, Solar and Heliospheric Radio Emissions held at Seggauberg near Graz, Austria, October 25–27, 2016

doi: 10.1553/PRE8s345

doi: 10.1553/PRE8s345

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doi:10.1553/PRE8s345



doi:10.1553/PRE8s345

Abstract

Lightning induced radio emission has been observed on solar system planets. Lecavelier des Etangs et al. [2013] carried out radio transit observations of the exoplanet HAT-P-11b, and suggested a tentative detection of a radio signal. Here, we explore the possibility of the radio emission having been produced by lightning activity on the exoplanet, following and expanding the work of Hodos´an et al. [2016a]. After a summary of our previous work [Hodos´an et al. 2016a], we extend it with a parameter study. The lightning activity of a hypothetical storm is largely dependent on the radio spectral roll–off, n, and the flash duration, τfl. The best–case scenario would require a flash density of the same order of magnitude as can be found during volcanic eruptions on Earth. On average, 3.8×106 times larger flash densities than Earth–storms with the largest lightning activity are needed to produce the observed signal from HAT-P-11b. Combined with the results of Hodos´an et al. [2016a] regarding the chemical effects of planet–wide thunderstorms, we conclude that future radio and infrared observations may lead to lightning detection on planets outside the solar system.