Cold dayside winds shape large leading streams in evaporating exoplanet atmospheres

Abstract

Recent observations of planetary atmospheres in HAT-P-32 b and HAT-P-67 b reveal extensive outflows reaching up to hundreds of planetary radii. The helium 1083 nm light curves for these planets, captured across their full orbits, show notable asymmetries: both planets display more pronounced pre-transit than post-transit absorptions, with HAT-P-67 b being the more extreme case. Using 3D hydrodynamic simulations, we identified the key factors influencing the formation of a dense leading outflow stream and characterized its morphology. Our models suggest that such a geometry of escaped material is caused by a relatively cold outflow with a high mass-loss rate, launched preferentially from the planet’s dayside. From the simulations we calculated synthetic He I 1083 nm spectra that show large absorption depths and irregular line profiles due to complex gas kinematics. We find that the measurements of the He I 1083 nm equivalent width and the velocity shift relative to the planet’s rest frame, observed over a significant portion of the planet’s orbital phase, can provide important constraints on the outflow properties and its interaction with the stellar wind.