Résumé / Abstract Seminaire_IAP
« Characterization of extrasolar atmospheres with transmission, reflexion, and emission spectra »

Giovanna Tinetti
Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris (Paris, France)

In the past decade, more than 200 extrasolar planets were discovered. Ground and space-borne observatories are proposed to be built to explore the diversity of these extrasolar worlds. NASA-Terrestrial Planet Finders and ESA Darwin are the largest and technologically most challenging mission concepts proposed up to date, and are expected to provide our first opportunity to spectroscopically study the global characteristics of Earth-size planets beyond our solar system, to search for signs of habitability and life.
Now, observations with Spitzer and Hubble Space Telescope of extrasolar giant planets can be used to infer or constrain many properties of their atmospheres and internal structure. The next generation of space telescopes (James Webb Space Telescope, 2013) will have the capability of acquiring spectra of smaller extrasolar worlds.
To understand our ability to characterize Giant and Terrestrial exoplanets, we have generated synthetic planetary spectra (emitted, reflected and transmitted) of real or exotic yet plausible environments, using a set of chemistry, climate and radiative transfer models. In this presentation we will focus on the detectability of spectral signatures of crucial atmospheric molecules and surface characteristics with present and future observations.
vendredi 26 janvier 2007 - 11:00
, Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris
Page web du séminaire / Seminar's webpage