Probing Exoplanetary Chemistry with Ariel: Scientific Priorities and Observational Strategies

Abstract

Over the past two decades, increasingly precise observations have revealed that exoplanet atmospheres are chemically diverse and often far from equilibrium, with processes such as vertical mixing, photochemistry, and atmospheric circulation producing significant departures from thermochemical expectations. As large surveys across a wide range of planets begin to uncover population-level chemical trends, a coherent interpretation of these patterns remains elusive, particularly for gas giants and Neptune-like planets where disequilibrium processes likely dominate. The ESA Ariel mission will provide the first homogeneous, statistically significant atmospheric dataset for nearly a thousand exoplanets, offering an unprecedented opportunity to investigate the origins of chemical diversity across planetary populations. This white paper highlights central scientific questions for understanding atmospheric chemistry and recognized as priorities for the community. These questions span the mechanisms driving disequilibrium chemistry, the role of sulfur- and phosphorus-bearing species, the influence of stellar activity, the formation of haze precursors, and the chemical evolution of atmospheres around stars of different ages and types. Because these topics connect chemistry, physics, and planetary evolution, they form the core focus of the Ariel Chemistry Working Group, which synthesizes current knowledge and identifies the diagnostics best addressed by Ariel’s spectral capabilities. For each theme, we outline observational strategies and representative targets already included in the Mission Candidate Sample, illustrating Ariel’s ability to address these questions. By linking large-scale observations to predictive atmospheric models, this work supports refinement of Ariel’s target selection and enables population-level studies that will transform our understanding of planetary atmospheres.