When
3:45 p.m., Dec. 2, 2014
Where
Kuiper Space Sciences 312
Dr. Heather Knutson
Assistant Professor
California Institute of Technology
Exoplanet Atmospheres in the Super-Earth Era
Ongoing surveys have revealed an amazing diversity of planetary systems, many of which have characteristics that differ substantially from those of the solar system planets. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises to come out of these surveys was the discovery that "super-Earths" (planets between 1-10 times the mass of the Earth) are in fact the most common type of extrasolar planet. Despite the name we actually know very little about the compositions of these mysterious planets, and it has been suggested that this mass range may include both "water worlds" and "mini-Neptunes" with thick hydrogen envelopes in addition to more Earth-like terrestrial planets. In my talk I will explore current constraints on the compositions of planets with masses ranging from that of Neptune down into the super-Earth regime, and discuss the corresponding implications for our understanding of planet formation and evolution. I will also discuss theories for the origin of the high altitude cloud layers observed in the majority of the Neptunes and super-Earths observed to date, which have foiled efforts to determine atmospheric compositions for these mysterious worlds.
Host: Caitlin Griffith
Assistant Professor
California Institute of Technology
Exoplanet Atmospheres in the Super-Earth Era
Ongoing surveys have revealed an amazing diversity of planetary systems, many of which have characteristics that differ substantially from those of the solar system planets. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises to come out of these surveys was the discovery that "super-Earths" (planets between 1-10 times the mass of the Earth) are in fact the most common type of extrasolar planet. Despite the name we actually know very little about the compositions of these mysterious planets, and it has been suggested that this mass range may include both "water worlds" and "mini-Neptunes" with thick hydrogen envelopes in addition to more Earth-like terrestrial planets. In my talk I will explore current constraints on the compositions of planets with masses ranging from that of Neptune down into the super-Earth regime, and discuss the corresponding implications for our understanding of planet formation and evolution. I will also discuss theories for the origin of the high altitude cloud layers observed in the majority of the Neptunes and super-Earths observed to date, which have foiled efforts to determine atmospheric compositions for these mysterious worlds.
Host: Caitlin Griffith
General
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