Mapping the Demographics of Giant Exoplanets: Direct Imaging and Beyond
When
Where
Dr. Eric Nielsen
Assistant Professor
Department of Astronomy
New Mexico State University
Over the past decades, advances in adaptive optics, coronagraphy, and data processing has enabled the direct detection and characterization of giant exoplanets orbiting young, nearby stars. The current generation of direct imagers, like the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), have allowed us to detect and characterize planets much closer to their star than previous generations of instruments. In addition to the wealth of information about exoplanetary atmospheres we obtain from spectroscopy of directly imaged planets, the demographics of these planets allow us to directly test theories of planet formation, probing the outer reaches of these planetary systems. I’ll discuss recent discoveries with the Gemini Planet Imager, and how the combination of direct imaging with radial velocity and astrometry allows us to start building a unified demographic model of giant planet populations across all separations. This sets the stage for the next generation of direct imaging instruments, including the upgraded GPI 2.0, to map giant exoplanet demographics closer to the snow line, where most of these planets are expected to form.
Host: Dr. Mark Marley