eprintid: 1427855
rev_number: 41
eprint_status: archive
userid: 608
dir: disk0/01/42/78/55
datestamp: 2014-09-26 10:50:33
lastmod: 2021-10-18 00:29:13
status_changed: 2014-09-26 10:50:33
type: thesis
metadata_visibility: show
item_issues_count: 0
creators_name: Tessenyi, M
title: A theoretical framework to understand the diversity of exoplanet atmospheres with current and future observatories
ispublished: unpub
divisions: UCL
divisions: B04
divisions: C06
divisions: F60
keywords: Exoplanet, Atmosphere, Radiative transfer, Spectroscopy
abstract: The exoplanet field has been evolving at an astonishing rate: nearly two thousand planets have been detected and many more are awaiting confirmation. Astronomers have begun classifying these planets by mass, radius and orbital parameters, but these numbers tell us only part of the story as we know very little about their chemical composition. Spectroscopic observations of exoplanet atmospheres can provide this missing information, critical for understanding the origin and evolution of these distant worlds. Currently, transit spectroscopy and direct imaging spectroscopy are the most promising methods to achieve this goal. Ground and space-based observations (VLT, Keck Observatory, IRTF, Spitzer Space Telescope, HST) of exoplanets have shown the potentials of the transit method. However, the instruments used in the past ten years were not optimised for this task: the available data are mostly photometric or low resolution spectra with low signal to noise. The interpretation of these --- often sparse --- data is generally a challenge. With the arrival of new facilities (GPI, SPHERE, E-ELT, JWST), and possibly dedicated space instruments such as the Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory (EChO), many questions needed to be tackled in a more systematic way. The focus of this thesis is to provide a theoretical framework to address the question of molecular detectability in exoplanet atmospheres with current and future facilities. The atmospheric components and their spectroscopic signals depend strongly on the planetary temperature and size, therefore I have simulated a significant sample of planets out of a range of sizes and temperatures, to describe comprehensively the chemical compositions that can be expected in those exotic worlds. Such simulations were convolved through instrument simulators to assess performance and limitations of current and future facilities. While my study has been inspired by transit spectroscopy with a hypothetical EChO-like space-based instrument, the methodology and results of this thesis are applicable to observations with other instruments and techniques.
date: 2014-04-28
vfaculties: VMPS
oa_status: green
full_text_type: other
thesis_class: doctoral_open
language: eng
thesis_view: UCL_Thesis
dart: DART-Europe
primo: open
primo_central: open_green
verified: verified_manual
elements_source: Manually entered
elements_id: 942624
lyricists_name: Tessenyi, Marcell
lyricists_name: Tinetti, Giovanna
lyricists_id: MTESS37
lyricists_id: GTINE95
full_text_status: public
pagerange: 1 - 220
pages: 222
institution: UCL (University College London)
department: Physics and Astronomy
thesis_type: Doctoral
editors_name: Tinetti, G
editors_name: Aylward, A
citation:        Tessenyi, M;      (2014)    A theoretical framework to understand the diversity of exoplanet atmospheres with current and future observatories.                   Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).     Green open access   
 
document_url: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1427855/2/final_thesis.pdf