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Seminar
A Comprehensive Framework for Modeling Photochemistry, Climate, and Habitability

Abstract

Exoplanet science has rapidly progressed, not only we have discovered more than 5000 planets since the first discovery in the 1990s, the field is transitioning from the stage of detection to atmospheric characterization. The diversity of exoplanets broadens our understanding of planetary science and provides a profound perspective on the evolution of our world. In this talk, I will give an overview of exoplanet characterization methods and the fundamental processes governing atmospheric composition. I will highlight recent JWST findings, including the first detection of photochemistry in an exoplanet atmosphere and its implications for understanding planet formation in tandem with disk observations and simulations. I will address the necessity of moving beyond 1D modeling, to account for global and temporal properties. By employing a 2D--3D modeling framework, I reveal distinct spectral features and limb asymmetries relevant to transit and phase-curve observations. I will discuss the puzzles surrounding the most common class of planets, known as sub-Neptunes, which curiously find no analogues in our Solar System. I will demonstrate how studying their atmospheres can help break the internal structure degeneracies. Lastly, did JWST detect signs of life on the sub-Neptune exoplanet K2-18b? I will share our recent insights into probing microbial life on oceanic sub-Neptune exoplanets. In closing, I will present my vision for collaborations with the multidisciplinary expertise at ASIAA.