Transiting extrasolar planets: discovery and characterisation
by
Yilen Gómez Maqueo Chew(University of Warwick)
→
Europe/Stockholm
FA31
FA31
Description
The transiting planet surveys, like WASP, have been very successful in discovering planets for which it is possible to measure the planetary mass and radius. Most of the transiting planets discovered from the ground are hot Jupiters, which are planets with a Jupiter-like mass orbiting their host star every few days. The new generation of surveys aims to discover transiting Neptune-like planets around stars that are bright enough to confirm their planetary nature. The careful characterization of a large number of extrasolar planets with a wide range of physical properties, in diverse environments, and at different evolutionary stages are necessary for the understanding of the formation and evolution of planetary systems. It is only with the precise measurement of the fundamental properties of these extrasolar planets and of their host stars that the bulk composition and the structure of the planets can be derived, exploring the physical processes involved in their formation and evolution.
