Exoplanets, Habitable Zone and Comparative Anatomy of Atmospheres

• Grant number: 23/10700-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2023
• End date: August 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Astronomy
• Principal Investigator: Eduardo Janot Pacheco
• Grantee: Laura Fernanda do Amarante Luque
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 16/13750-6 - Brazil in space: Astrophysics and Engineering, AP.ESP

Abstract

Exoplanetology, the name currently given to the branch of astronomy that studies planetary systems discovered outside the solar system, has reached maturity mainly thanks to the high precision of the techniques for detecting photometric transits (with satellites) and the determination of radial velocities (atmospheric spectroscopy). from the ground). However, observational biases introduced by detection methods make it difficult to form a real image of these systems. To answer questions like "Is the solar system a typical planetary system?" we therefore need to carefully analyze the available data in order to have a reasonable idea about the architecture of known planetary systems. Another important aspect inherent to exoplanetology is that this field of study necessarily takes us back to astrobiology. Well, the planets, protected by atmospheres, are privileged places for the development of life as we know it. The immediate objectives of the research fall into two complementary areas: i) to analyze the architecture of planetary systems, via analysis of the NASA (see above) and European (http://exoplanet.eu/) databases, and to compose a succinct picture of the Milky Way's planetary systems; ii) make a list of most favorably habitable planets, which will be invaluable for future exoplanetary/astrobiological terrestrial and space missions.