Detecting isotopologues in exoplanet atmospheres using ground-based high-dispersion spectroscopy

Context. The cross-correlation technique is a well-tested method for exoplanet characterization, having lead to the detection of various molecules, to constraints on atmospheric temperature profiles, wind speeds, and planetary spin rates. A new, potentially powerful application of this technique is the measurement of atmospheric isotope ratios. In particular D/H can give unique insights into the formation and evolution of planets, and their atmospheres. Aims. In this paper we aim to study the detectability of molecular isotopologues in the high-dispersion spectra of exoplanet atmospheres, to identify the optimal wavelength ranges to conduct such studies, and to predict the required observational efforts – both with current and future ground-based instrumentation. Methods. High-dispersion ( R = 100 000) thermal emission spectra, and in some cases reflection spectra, were simulated by self-consistent modeling of the atmospheric structures and abundances of exoplanets over a wide range of effective temperatures. These were synthetically observed with a telescope equivalent to the VLT and/or ELT, and analyzed using the cross-correlation technique, resulting in signal-to-noise ratio predictions for the 13 CO, HDO, and CH 3 D isotopologues. Results. We find that for the best observable exoplanets, 13 CO is well in range of current telescopes. We predict it will be most favorably detectable at 2.4 μ m, just longward of the wavelength regions probed by several high-dispersion spectroscopic observations presented in the literature. CH 3 D can be best targeted at 4.7 μ m, and may be detectable using 40 m-class telescopes for planets below 600 K in equilibrium temperature. In this case, the sky background becomes the dominating noise source for self-luminous planets. HDO is best targeted at 3.7 μ m, and is less affected by sky background noise. 40 m-class telescopes may lead to its detection for planets with T equ below 900 K. It could already be in the range of current 8 m-class telescopes in the case of quenched methane abundances. Finally, if Proxima Cen b is water-rich, the HDO isotopologue could be detected with the ELT in ~1 night of observing time in its reflected-light spectrum. Conclusions. Isotopologues will soon be a part of the exoplanet characterisation tools. Measuring D/H in exoplanets, and ratios of other isotopes, could become a prime science case for the first-light instrument METIS on the European ELT, especially for nearby temperate rocky and ice giant planets. This can provide unique insights in their history of icy-body enrichment and atmospheric evaporation processes.