Publication Abstracts

Marley et al. 2013

Marley, M.S., A.S. Ackerman, J.N. Cuzzi, and D. Kitzmann, 2013: Clouds and hazes in exoplanet atmospheres. In Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets. S.J. Mackwell, A.A. Simon-Miller, J.W. Harder, and M.A. Bullock, Eds., Space Science Series, University of Arizona Press, pp. 367-391, doi:10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816530595-ch015.

Clouds and hazes are commonplace in the atmospheres of solar system planets and are likely ubiquitous in the atmospheres of extrasolar planets as well. Clouds affect every aspect of a planetary atmosphere, from the transport of radiation, to atmospheric chemistry, to dynamics, and they influence — if not control — aspects such as surface temperature and habitability. In this review we aim to provide an introduction to the role and properties of clouds in exo-planetary atmospheres. We consider the role clouds play in influencing the spectra of planets as well as their habitability and detectability. We briefly summarize how clouds are treated in terrestrial climate models and consider the far simpler approaches that have been taken so far to model exoplanet clouds, the evidence for which we also review. Since clouds play a major role in the atmospheres of certain classes of brown dwarfs, we briefly discuss brown dwarf cloud modeling as well. We also review how the scattering and extinction efficiencies of cloud particles may be approximated in certain limiting cases of small and large particles in order to facilitate physical understanding. Since clouds play such important roles in planetary atmospheres, cloud modeling may well prove to be the limiting factor in our ability to interpret future observations of extrasolar planets.

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BibTeX Citation

@inbook{ma04900z,
  author={Marley, M. S. and Ackerman, A. S. and Cuzzi, J. N. and Kitzmann, D.},
  editor={Mackwell, S. J. and Simon-Miller, A. A. and Harder, J. W. and Bullock, M. A.},
  title={Clouds and hazes in exoplanet atmospheres},
  booktitle={Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets},
  year={2013},
  pages={367--391},
  publisher={University of Arizona Press},
  address={Phoenix},
  series={Space Science Series},
  doi={10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816530595-ch015},
}

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RIS Citation

TY  - CHAP
ID  - ma04900z
AU  - Marley, M. S.
AU  - Ackerman, A. S.
AU  - Cuzzi, J. N.
AU  - Kitzmann, D.
ED  - Mackwell, S. J.
ED  - Simon-Miller, A. A.
ED  - Harder, J. W.
ED  - Bullock, M. A.
PY  - 2013
TI  - Clouds and hazes in exoplanet atmospheres
BT  - Comparative Climatology of Terrestrial Planets
T3  - Space Science Series
SP  - 367
EP  - 391
DO  - 10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816530595-ch015
PB  - University of Arizona Press
CY  - Phoenix
ER  -

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