Direct Imaging of Exoplanets
A. Bartlett Giamatti Professor of Astronomy and Physics
This lecture outlines methods for exoplanet identification, focusing on transit photometry to derive planetary radii, Doppler spectroscopy for stellar mass, and astrometry for precise positional assessment. It concludes with an overview of missions like Kepler, SIM, and TPF for advanced detection.
Frontiers/Controversies in Astrophysics (ASTR 160)
Class begins with a problem on transits and learning what information astronomers obtain through observing them. For example, radii of stars can be estimated. Furthermore, applying the Doppler shift method, one can find the mass of a star. Finally, a star's density can be calculated. A second method for identifying planets around stars is introduced: the astrometry method. The method allows for an extremely accurate assessment of a star's precise position in the sky. Special features of the astrometry method are discussed and a number of problems are solved. A short summary is given on the three methods astronomers use to identify exoplanets. Class ends with an overview of upcoming space missions and the hope of detecting the presence of biological activity on other planet.
Microlensing, Astrometry and Other Methods
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