ERC Consolidator Grant · 2016
Future of upper atmospheric characterisation of exoplanets with spectroscopy
This project will open a new path to characterise the atmospheres of exoplanets down to Earth-size objects, using the spatial extension of upper atmospheres as a magnifying glass to access the atmospheric properties. The tremendous energy received by exoplanets close to their stars leads to dramatic atmospheric expansion and escape, which could result in the formation of hot rocky super-Earths seen in recent years. While the escape mechanisms and evolutionary impact on planets and atmospheres remain debated, the atmospheric expansion gives rise to spectacular spectroscopic signatures in the UV, only detectable with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). In 2015, I discovered a huge extended…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.