Abstract

Context: GJ 1214 b is one of the few known transiting super-Earth-sized exoplanets with a measured mass and radius. It orbits an M-dwarf, only 14.55 pc away, making it a favorable candidate for follow-up studies. However, the composition of GJ 1214 b's mysterious atmosphere has yet to be fully unveiled. Aims: Our goal is to distinguish between the various proposed atmospheric models to explain the properties of GJ 1214 b: hydrogen-rich or hydrogen-He mix, or a heavy molecular weight atmosphere with reflecting high clouds, as latest studies have suggested. Methods: Wavelength-dependent planetary radii measurements from the transit depths in the optical/NIR are the best tool to investigate the atmosphere of GJ 1214 b. We present here (i) photometric transit observations with a narrow-band filter centered on 2.14 mu m and a broad-band I-Bessel filter centered on 0.8665 mu m, and (ii) transmission spectroscopy in the H and K atmospheric windows that cover three transits. The obtained photometric and spectrophotometric time series were analyzed with MCMC simulations to measure the planetary radii as a function of wavelength. We determined radii ratios of 0.1173(-0.0024)(+0.0022) for I-Bessel and 0.11735(-0.00076)(+0.00072) at 2.14 mu m. Results: Our measurements indicate a flat transmission spectrum, in agreement with last atmospheric models that favor featureless spectra with clouds and high molecular weight compositions.