3:00–4:00 pm ERC 401
Adina Feinstein "Young Stellar and Planetary Systems from the UV to the IR"
High energy stellar irradiation is believed to control atmospheric chemistry in and mass loss of short-period gas-giant planets. These effects are intensified in the earliest stages of planetary evolution because young stars are more active and produce extreme levels of X-ray and Ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Observational constraints on star-planet interactions for short-period planets provide insight into the earliest evolutionary stages of the ~5000 older extrasolar planets currently identified. In the first part of this talk, I will present several benchmark studies of early stage activity and star planet interactions that draw upon UV, optical, and infrared wavelength observations. I will present the results of a large statistical survey of stellar flares with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and an in depth Far-UV study of the 23 Myr M dwarf AU Mic obtained by the Hubble Space Telescope. To interpret these observations in the context of AU Mic b and c, I will present models of flare-driven atmospheric escape, relevant for understanding the early evolution of young planets. In the second part of this talk, I will present the results of two atmospheric studies: (i) optical observations of a 30-40 Myr planet, V1298 Tau and (ii) near-infrared observations of WASP-39b. Both campaigns provide useful context for future observations and interpretation of young transiting exoplanet atmospheres.
