Caroline Piaulet-Ghorayeb, University of Chicago
When
Refreshments served at 3:00 in the 3rd floor Atrium
TAP Planetary Atmospheres Initiative Lecture
Caroline Piaulet-Ghorayeb, University of Chicago
Visit Dates: Oct 26 - Oct 30
Title: Beyond Earth 2.0: charting paths to habitable worlds with JWST
The quest to understand whether planets beyond our Solar System could harbor life is a driving force in exoplanet science. Two principal types of exoplanets stand out as promising candidates for habitability: temperate rocky worlds—the archetypal “Earth 2.0”—and small, cool sub-Neptunes, some of which might even sustain surface liquid water. In this talk, I will discuss recent advances in probing the habitability of these planets, highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach that considers a planet’s internal makeup, its stellar environment, the connection between atmospheric and bulk composition, and the importance of 3D climate calculations to interpret observations.
I will highlight recent JWST observations of TRAPPIST-1 d, a small temperate rocky planet, and share findings from JWST observations and novel modeling of small sub-Neptunes—results that prompt paradigm shifts in our understanding of the processes shaping these worlds. Finally, I will describe how forthcoming JWST programs can chart a path forward to address outstanding questions and challenges.