The Mg i line: a new probe of the atmospheres of evaporating exoplanets

Abstract

Transit observations of HD 209458b in the UV revealed signatures of neutral magnesium escaping the planet's upper atmosphere. The absorption detected in the Mg i line provides unprecedented information on the physical conditions at the altitude where the atmospheric blow-off takes place. Here we use a 3D model of atmospheric escape to estimate the transit absorption signatures in the Mg i line of their host stars. The detectability of these signatures depends on the brightness of the star and the escape rate of neutral magnesium. We identify a sample of potentially evaporating exoplanets that covers a wide range of stellar and planetary properties, and whose extended exospheres might be detected through Mg i line observations with current UV facilities, allowing further steps in comparative exoplanetology.