LPL Colloquium

When

3:30 p.m., Oct. 11, 2011

Where

Dr. Drake Deming
Professor
University of Maryland

"Infrared Light from Extrasolar Planets"

Abstract:

Infrared radiation from extrasolar planets was first detected in 2005 using Spitzer. Following the first detections, the field has exploded with over two dozen transiting planets characterized by Spitzer, Hubble, and increasingly by ground-based observations. Current topics of study include the spectra of exoplanet atmospheres, the presence of atmospheric aerosols and haze, and the circulation of energy by supersonic winds. Within the next decade, we expect to achieve the detection and characterization of a super-Earth exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of a nearby M-dwarf star.