Objective: Understand the chemical composition of exoplanet atmospheres
Advance understanding of the chemical composition of exoplanet atmospheres by including the effects of the host star’s variability, cloud formation, charge processes and lightning in state-of-the-art (exo)planet atmosphere models. Enable students to apply complex models as Virtual Laboratories for different objects, parameter spaces or test cases, for predicting observations and data analysis (WP3).
The starter reading kit — Review articles:
Exoplanet Clouds (Helling 2019, AREPS 47, 583)
Lightning on other planets (Helling 2019, JPhCS 1322)
Modelling the formation of atmospheric dust in brown dwarfs and planetary atmospheres (Helling & Fomins 2013, Phil Trans R Soc A 371: 20110581)
Precursor projects:
AEROSOL – Astrochemistry of old stars: direct probing of unique chemical laboratories (Leen Decin, ERC Consolidator Grant)
LEAP – Life Electricity Atmosphere Planets (Christiane Helling, ERC Starting Grant)
Partner projects:
ESCHER – Extraterrestrial prebiotic chemistry (Leen Decin, KU Leuven ID-N)
CELS – Center for Exolife Science of the University of Copenhagen