Presented by: Prof. Xinting Yu
Affiliation: University of Texas at San Antonio
Location: Young Hall 4222
Abstract:
The field of exoplanets is evolving with astronomical speed, with over 6000 exoplanets discovered to date, including many planets that have no counterparts in the Solar System. More recently, the James Webb Space Telescope has revolutionized our understanding of exoplanet atmospheres by delivering unprecedented spectroscopic constraints on their atmospheric compositions.
In this talk, I will talk about my journey as a planetary scientist who started in the lab working with organic materials on Titan, and how I transitioned to working on some fun theoretical problems for exoplanet atmospheres. Specifically, I will discuss how we can use atmospheric composition to understand the nature and potential habitability of temperate sub-Neptunes, planets with sizes ranging between Earth and Neptune, which also represent the most common type of exoplanets discovered to date. I will also highlight my recent work addressing the emerging population of “missing methane” exoplanets.