Ultraviolet Spectropolarimetry as a Tool for Understanding the Diversity of Exoplanetary Atmospheres. (arXiv:1903.05834v1 [astro-ph.EP])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Fossati_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">L. Fossati</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Rossi_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">L. Rossi</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Stam_D/0/1/0/all/0/1">D. Stam</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Munoz_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">A. Garc&#xed;a Mu&#xf1;oz</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Berzosa_Molina_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">J. Berzosa-Molina</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Arenal_P/0/1/0/all/0/1">P. M. Arenal</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Caballero_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">J. Caballero</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Cabrera_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">J. Cabrera</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Chiavassa_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">A. Chiavassa</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Desert_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">J.-M. Desert</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Godolt_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">M. Godolt</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Grenfell_L/0/1/0/all/0/1">L. Grenfell</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Haswell_C/0/1/0/all/0/1">C. Haswell</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Kabath_P/0/1/0/all/0/1">P. Kabath</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Kislyakova_K/0/1/0/all/0/1">K. Kislyakova</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Lanza_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">A. Lanza</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Etangs_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">A. Lecavelier des Etangs</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Lendl_M/0/1/0/all/0/1">M. Lendl</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Palle_E/0/1/0/all/0/1">E. Pall&#xe9;</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Rauer_H/0/1/0/all/0/1">H. Rauer</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Rugheimer_S/0/1/0/all/0/1">S. Rugheimer</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Vidotto_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">A. Vidotto</a>

The polarization state of starlight reflected by a planetary atmosphere
uniquely reveals coverage, particle size, and composition of aerosols as well
as changing cloud patterns. It is not possible to obtain a comparable level of
detailed from flux-only observations. Furthermore, polarization observations
can probe the atmosphere of planets independently of the orbital geometry
(i.e., transiting and non-transiting planets). We show that a high-resolution
spectropolarimeter with a broad wavelength coverage, particularly if attached
to a large space telescope, would enable simultaneous study of the polarimetric
exoplanet properties of the continuum and to look for and characterize the
polarimetric signal due to scattering from single molecules.

The polarization state of starlight reflected by a planetary atmosphere
uniquely reveals coverage, particle size, and composition of aerosols as well
as changing cloud patterns. It is not possible to obtain a comparable level of
detailed from flux-only observations. Furthermore, polarization observations
can probe the atmosphere of planets independently of the orbital geometry
(i.e., transiting and non-transiting planets). We show that a high-resolution
spectropolarimeter with a broad wavelength coverage, particularly if attached
to a large space telescope, would enable simultaneous study of the polarimetric
exoplanet properties of the continuum and to look for and characterize the
polarimetric signal due to scattering from single molecules.

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