Thesis

Detecting the atmospheres of exoplanets with CHEOPS: combining theory and observations

• Call:

  IDPASC Portugal - PHD Programme 2016

• Academic Year:

  2016 / 2017

• Domain:

  Astrophysics

• Supervisor:

  Nuno Santos

• Co-Supervisor:

• Institution:

  Universidade do Porto

• Host Institution:

  Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço/Univ. Porto

• Abstract:

  With the number of exoplanets increasing at a fast pace, the attention of exoplanetology is progressively focusing in their detailed characterization. This characterization effort will receive a major boost in the coming years, as a number of new telescopes both in space and on the ground become operative. To fully exploit the potential of the data to arrive, it is critical that similar efforts are spent on the development of theoretical tools that will enable the interpretation of observations. The present project proposes a combined theoretical and observational approach to use data from new instruments to study the atmospheres of exoplanets. In particular, we will focus on the use of CHEOPS high precision photometry to detect and analyse the occultation signals for a variety of planets orbiting stars with different properties. A statistical analysis of the data, coupled with the model predictions, will allow to understand new physical processes in the atmospheres of exoworlds.