Sterrenkunde RU Nijmegen - new_frontiers_in_exoplanetary_science:from_the_statistics_to_the_individual_characterisation_of_exoplanets

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New Frontiers in Exoplanetary Atmospheres

Jean-Michel Desert (University of Amsterdam, NL)

The field of exoplanetology has recently transitioned from the investigation of individual objects to
statistical studies. However, answers to key questions in exoplanetary science come not only from the statistics
of discovery surveys, but also from the detailed characterisation of individual systems. I argue that the study
of exoplanet atmospheres and their diversity is the next step in leveraging their detections. This is because a
planet's atmosphere provides a fossil record of its primordial origins and controls its fate, size and
appearance. The study of exoplanet atmospheres thus is crucial to answer fundamental questions in planetary
formation and exoplanetary physics.
In this context, I present new results from ongoing comparative exoplanetology programs that aim to characterise
planetary systems transiting nearby stars through the observations of their atmospheres. This is achieved by
combining ground- and space-based multi-wavelength observations secured over wide spectral regions. The results
on the atmospheric composition and physical properties provide insights into the formation and evolution of
planetary systems and enhance our understanding of our own Solar System's formation. Finally, I also present
strategies for probing rocky exoplanet atmospheres orbiting in the habitable zone of their parent stars, and for
searching for bio-signatures with future facilities.

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