Exploring Exo-Venuses with JWST
Lead Research Organisation:
The Open University
Department Name: Faculty of Sci, Tech, Eng & Maths (STEM)
Abstract
Over the last decade, we have started to uncover details of exoplanet atmospheres using
the technique of transmission spectroscopy. When the planet crosses in front of its parent
star during orbit, some of the starlight is filtered through the atmosphere, emerging with a
fingerprint of any absorbing gases and aerosols that are present. Currently, we are most
capable of doing this for hot, gas giant planets with hydrogen-helium atmospheres, and
smaller, cooler planets present a challenge.
Venus is the planet in the Solar System with the greatest similarity to Earth in terms of its
size and mass, yet its evolutionary history has culminated in an incredibly hot, acidic and
inhospitable world. Studying Venus-like planets around other stars will help us to
understand how this might have happened.
the technique of transmission spectroscopy. When the planet crosses in front of its parent
star during orbit, some of the starlight is filtered through the atmosphere, emerging with a
fingerprint of any absorbing gases and aerosols that are present. Currently, we are most
capable of doing this for hot, gas giant planets with hydrogen-helium atmospheres, and
smaller, cooler planets present a challenge.
Venus is the planet in the Solar System with the greatest similarity to Earth in terms of its
size and mass, yet its evolutionary history has culminated in an incredibly hot, acidic and
inhospitable world. Studying Venus-like planets around other stars will help us to
understand how this might have happened.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST/W507714/1 | 01/10/2021 | 30/09/2025 | |||
| 2645687 | Studentship | ST/W507714/1 | 01/02/2022 | 30/04/2025 | Agnibha Banerjee |