Vanadium oxide and a sharp onset of cold-trapping on a giant exoplanet.

The abundance of refractory elements in giant planets can provide key insights into their formation histories. Owing to the low temperatures of the Solar System giants, refractory elements condense below the cloud deck, limiting sensing capabilities to only highly volatile elements. Recently, ultra-hot giant exoplanets have allowed for some refractory elements to be measured, showing abundances broadly consistent with the solar nebula with titanium probably condensed out of the photosphere.