Joint Astrophysical Colloquium
Early Release Science investigation of a giant exoplanet with the JWST instruments
Luigi Mancini (Dipartimento di Fisica - Università di Roma)
Thursday 26/01/2023 @ 11:30, Sala IV piano Battiferro
The successful launch of JWST opens a new era of astronomy by bringing forth the ability to measure the compositions of planet atmospheres beyond our own Solar System with exquisite precision. In this seminar I will briefly discuss the main techniques for detecting exoplanets, especially the transit method. I will then describe the two usual observational techniques for probing the atmospheres of transiting planets, namely transmission and emission spectroscopy, underlining the limits of ground-based and space observations in the pre-JWST era. I will then show the first recent results obtained by the JWST which investigated a giant planet, WASP-39b, at wavelengths that were previously inaccessible, highlighting the presence of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Finally, I will show the prospects for studying the atmospheres of small and rocky planets.