In Search of Exoplanet Infrared Aurorae: Constraints from Two Hot Jupiters

Infrared (IR) aurorae on exoplanets are dynamic probes of star-planet interactions, with strong aurorae providing detections of the planetary magnetic fields, constraining host-star wind properties, and delivering information on the thermal structures of planets. Decades of work towards understanding the IR aurorae of Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus prepared us for applying similar methods to exoplanets. We present the history of IR auroral searches and our team’s own recent work with Keck NIRSPEC to search for molecular H3+ auroral signatures on the hot Jupiters WASP-69b and WASP-80b. We further discuss the need for improved modeling work and advancements in technology to find these elusive auroral signatures on exoplanets.