Duration
20h Th, 10h Pr
Number of credits
| Master in space sciences (120 ECTS) | 4 crédits |
Lecturer
Coordinator
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the second semester
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
Since the end of last century, several thousand planets have been detected outside our solar system. The thorough characterization of a fraction of them has inaugurated a new scientific discipline called exoplanetology, i.e. planetology applied to extrasolar planetary systems. The purpose of the course is to provide an introduction to this young branch of astrophysics. It begins with a lesson presenting an overview of the features of our own solar system, followed by a description of the current paradigm of its formation. The dynamics of planetary systems is then discussed during the second lesson. Come then several lessons presenting respectively the indirect and direct methods of exoplanets detection and characterization, including a summary of their results. The next lesson discusses the architecture of planetary systems and the observed properties of circumstellar disks. Follows then a more theoretical lesson that discusses the models of planetary structure and atmosphere. The final lesson is focused on habitability, and uses the overall picture sketched by the observational results to examine the frequency of planets that could harbor life and our potential ability to detect its existence.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
The objectives of the course are to introduce the student to the physical phenomena involved in a planetary system, to the methods of detection and study of exoplanets, and to the theoretical and statistical implications of the observational results. At the end of the course, the student should have sufficient basis for the deepening of the subject via the consultation of the literature, and for a possible active involvement in exoplanetology research.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
No specific prerequisite.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The theoretical part of the course consists of 10 sessions of 2hrs each. It is complemented by an additional sesssion of 2 hrs aiming to inform the student of the objectives and methodology of the practical work to be performed. This work will be focused on the analysis of observations of an exoplanet. The students will do this work by groups of two to four, and they will have to present their results in a summary report.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Recommended or required readings
PowerPoint slides shown during the courses will be provided to the students in electronic format.
Although not mandatory, the consultation of the following books in English can be seen as a good complement:
* Transiting exoplanets, Carole A. Haswell, Cambridge University Press (2010)
* Exoplanets, Sara Seager (Editor), Space Science Series, University of Arizona Press (2011).
* The Exoplanet Handbook (2nd Edition), Michael Perryman, Cambridge University Press (2018).
The final grade consists of the rating of the report on the practical work (20%) and the rating of the oral examination (80%). During the oral exam, the student is interviewed on the topic of the theoretical courses (two questions), and the assessment is based on the knowledge of theoretical concepts, their understanding, and their correct application.
Work placement(s)
Nil
Organizational remarks
The two lectures on direct imaging and the one on planetary systems architecture and circumstellar disks are given by Dr. Absil, and the others by Dr. Gillon.
Contacts
Dr. Michaël Gillon, EXOplanets in Transit: Identification and Characterization (EXOTIC) research group, ASTROBIOLOGY research unit, ULiege
Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique, Bât B5C, Allée du 6 août, 19, 4000 Liège (Sart-Tilman), office -1/1
Phone: +32-(0)4 366 9743
E-mail : michael.gillon@uliege.be
Dr. Olivier Absil, Planetary & Stellar systems Imaging Laboratory (PSILab) research group, STAR research unit, ULiege
Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique, Bât B5C, Allée du 6 août, 19, 4000 Liège (Sart-Tilman), office +2/19
Tél: +32-(0)4 366 9724
Courriel: olivier.absil@uliege.be
Association of one or more MOOCs
Items online
Slides shown during the course
This URL links to the slides presented during the lectures. Each presentation is replaced by its updated version after each lecture.