Date/Time
Date(s) - 16/02/2022
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Dr. Annelies Mortier

Date: February 16th, 2022

Time: 3:30 pm

Title: Detecting and characterising small exoplanets in hunt for an Earth twin

 Over the last decades,we have witnessed an exponential rise in the number of discovered planets outside our Solar System, known as exoplanets. These discoveries have shown us that planets are ubiquitous and diverse. At the same time, we have not yet found a planet resembling our own Earth. Through the transit and radial velocity technique, we can measure a planet’s radius and mass, which in turn allows us to infer their interior composition. Measuring the mass of small planet is, however, a challenging task hindered by signals originating from the star itself. In this talk I will discuss our efforts of filling the mass-radius diagram for small planets to understand planetary diversity. I will highlight the issues surrounding stellar activity and how we can use the Sun to overcome these on our journey towards finding an Earth twin.

Location: Zoom

Host: Dr. Ralph Pudritz