SPAT0056-1

Duration

30h Th, 15h Pr

Number of credits

	Master in space sciences (120 ECTS)	5 crédits

Lecturer

Denis Grodent

Coordinator

Denis Grodent

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

The course SPAT0055 was based on a detailed study of the atmosphere of the Earth. It made it possible to introduce several basic concepts of atmospheric physics. The present course moves in the same way and extends the scope of these laws of physics to the atmosphere of other planets of the solar system and to exoplanets. Differences in planetary atmospheres are directly owing to their formation and thus to the formation of the solar (stellar) system. The case of exoplanets allows us to explore more exotic atmospheres.

I. Introduction - Recaps
- The new solar system
- Definitions
- Titius-Bode's Law
- Planets of the solar system
- Planetary orbits and rotations
- Coordinate systems
- Planetary configurations
- Kepler's Law
- The N-body problem (N=1,2,3)
- Tides
- Roche's limit
- N >3 perturbation of orbits and resonance
- Energy sources of planets

II. Formation and evolution of the solar system
- Review of theories
- Standard model
- Evolutionary processes
- Escape and erosion
- Impacts
- Surface Processes

III. Telluric planets
- Thermal structure
- Radiative transfer
- Photochemistry of CO2 atmospheres
- Ionosphere of CO2 atmospheres
- Mars, composition, climate, magnetic field, dynamics
- Earth : evolution of climate and of chemical composition

IV. Giant planets
- Thermal structure
- Radiative transfer
- Photochemistry of H2 atmospheres
- Ionosphere of H2 atmospheres
- Jupiter and its satellites, composition, climate, magnetosphere, dynamics
- Saturn and its satellites, composition, climate, magnetosphere, dynamics
- Uranus and Neptune

V. Extrasolar planets
- Detection of exoplanets and their atmosphere
- Radial Velocity method, Doppler effect
- Astrometric method
- Micro-lense and Timing methods
- Transit method
- Futur observatories
- Characterization of exoplanetary atmospheres

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

At the end of the course, students should be able to explain how the formation of the solar system influenced the atmospheric structure and composition of the different planets. They should be able to show that these planetary atmospheres evolved in different ways and that the emergence of life on Earth has had an dramatic effect on its atmosphere. The field of exoplanetary atmospheres is just starting. The students will become familiar with current detection methods and understand their limitations for deriving atmospheric information.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

This course is a sequel to course SPAT0055 (or SPAT0048)

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)

Face-to-face, power point presentations.

Assessment methods and criteria

Regular oral examination and presentation of a personal work. The latter consists in the analysis of a scientific paper directly related to the course. It should be chosen in agreement with the instructors and will be evaluated.

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

It is highly recommended to attend the classes.

Contacts

Prof Denis Grodent d.grodent@ulg.ac.be
Prof Jean-Claude Gérard jc.gerard@ulg.ac.be
Laboratory for Planeatary and Atmospheric Physics
Space sciences, Technologies and Astrophysics Research (STAR) Institute
Université de Liège Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique Quartier AGORA (B5c) Allée du Six Août, 19C B-4000 Liège, Belgium
phone: +32 4 366 9773 http://lpap.ulg.ac.be 50°34'55.9"N 5°33'55.8"E50.582194, 5.565510

Items online

PDF version of the slides presented during the classes.
PDF version of the slides presented during the classes.

Planetary and exoplanetary atmospheres