Exoplanets

The study of planets located outside our Solar System is a rapidly growing research area, and a high priority for UK and European funding agencies.

Our expertise is in theory, numerical simulations, and observations of exoplanets and their atmospheres. Our research develops numerical simulation and evolutionary models to study the formation, evolution, interior and atmospheric structure of Earth- to Jupiter-like planets. We use optical and infrared space and ground-based telescopes (e.g. HST, VLT, Gemini, GTC).

Our research interests include:

• direct imaging of exoplanets
• spectroscopy of exoplanetary atmospheres
• modelling how exoplanets evolve
• the interior structure and atmosphere of giant exoplanets,
• detecting and measuring potential terrestrial and habitable planets,
• the origin and impact of planet dynamos on planetary evolution.

Astrophysics staff working in this area