Astronomy 334 - Extrasolar Atmospheres

Spectroscopy with the James Webb Space Telescope has completely revolutionized our understanding of extrasolar worlds. In this course, we will learn to decode the light we receive from distant worlds. We will explore the physics and chemistry of stellar, substellar, and exoplanet atmospheres through spectroscopy. Starting with an overview of how astronomical data is collected and how our understanding of atmospheres has improved over time with new technology, we will then turn to study how spectral lines are generated at the atomic level and the atmospheric and instrumental modifications they can suffer until they look like the data astronomers collect. We will follow by building an atmospheric model in equilibrium from first principles and evaluating how physical parameters like temperature, mass, and surface gravity shape the spectrum of an object. Finally, we will make our model more realistic by investigating dynamical atmospheric processes such as cloud formation, vertical mixing, and photochemistry. Through constant comparison of observations and theory, students will gain intuition on how to read and interpret the spectral fingerprints of extrasolar worlds grounding their judgement on statistical analysis. 

Professor Bardalez Gagliuffi

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Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Quantitative work, computation work, working in groups.