TODAY! PAGS Department – Spring 2022 Seminar Series

Join the PAGS Department for the Spring 2022 Seminar Series featuring:

Kielan K. W. Hoch
Towson University Alumni, Bachelor of Science, Physics
with a concentration in astrophysics

“Moderate Resolution Spectroscopy of Directly Imaged Planets”

“Direct imaging of exoplanets has revealed a population of Jupiter-like objects that orbit at large separations (~10-100 AU) from their host stars. These planets, with masses of ~2-14 MJup and temperatures of ~500-2000 K, remain a problem for the two main planet formation models—core accretion and gravitational instability. Observations that probe the elemental abundances in the atmospheres of these young gas giants can shed light on their formation pathways. Here we present results from our survey of directly imaged planets with moderate (R~4000) spectral resolution using the OSIRIS instrument on the W. M. Keck I 10-meter telescope. Thus far, we have observed nine companions in the K band, including the “super-Jupiter” Kappa Andromeda b, VHS 1256 b, and HD 284149 b. The spectra reveal resolved molecular lines from water and CO, allowing for the derivation of atmospheric properties such as temperature, surface gravity, metallicity, and C/O ratio. To expand upon this survey, we also have a JWST Cycle 1 Program to directly image the multiplanet system TYC 8998-760-1 (YSES-1) using NIRSpec and MIRI to increase our understanding of substellar atmospheres and their formation pathways.”

Friday, May 6, 2022
11:00am-12:00pm
SC1230

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This post was written by Charles, Amanda G.