We are in a unique time to study planets. Not only do we have space missions such as Cassini and Juno, which have led to a radical change in our knowledge of the giants in our solar system, but we also have an astonishing number of more than 4000 exoplanets that have been discovered in the last three decades. Each new exoplanet highlights a stunning diversity and impacts the perception and understanding of our own solar system. This course will provide an overview of our current theoretical understanding of the physical and chemical processes that occur in planets interiors and their atmospheres. This understanding is crucial to interpret observations, and to know where the field is moving for the developing of future instrumentation.
The detailed outline is:
Radiative transfer in (exo)planet atmospheres
Chemistry in (exo)planet atmospheres
Principles of fluid dynamics and applications to circulation in atmospheres
Interaction between the planets and the host star: atmospheric escape
Interiors or rocky planets
Interiors of giant planets: inflation in hot-Jupiters
Interactions between interiors and atmospheres: surface, ocean and volcanoes
The concept of habitability
Outcome:
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
Distinguish the main physical and chemical processes that shape the atmospheres and interiors of (exo)planets.
Discuss and follow current literature in exoplanets
Use state-of-the-art codes to model exoplanets interiors and atmospheres
Name the main uncertainties in the current knowledge of Exoplanet interiors and atmospheres
Identify synergies between our Solar system and Exoplanets
