Research interest in astronomy
What fascinates me most in astronomy is the variety of worlds beyond ours. With almost 6,000 confirmed exoplanetsWe have found an incredible diversity: planets that orbit the remains of supernovae, to the lava worlds, to the “super-platforms” of density and h and h and h and h and h and h and h and h and h and h and h and h and h2Water worlds rich in O which question our theories of training and structure. Somewhere in this mixture are planets that could look like the earth, not only in size or temperature, but in their potential to support life.
I am particularly interested in important questions. What types of planets could exist that we have not even imagined? Which are stable over billions of years? Which one could be habitable even if they are nothing to the earth? And how can we probe these questions given the vast distances and the limited tools that we have? For me, these are some of the deepest questions we can ask about the universe and our place.
The search for exoplanets is one of the most dynamic boundaries of science because it constantly obliges us to rethink what is possible. Each new discovery challenges us to build better models, instruments and questions. This discovery process is what keeps me committed.
Current research subject
My research focuses on how exoplanetary atmospheres tend to get lost in space over time. This process occurs by exposure to high energy radiation of their stars, as well as the cooling of their training. This mass loss process is supposed to cut functionalities such as the “gap radius”7 and “Hot Neptune Desert”8where the planets are not massive enough to keep their atmospheres while their stars continue to strip them. Figure 4 shows the distribution of exoplanets known by size and orbital period, with three systems that the study is highlighted.
WASP-69 B is an atmosphere of hot Jupiter currently, detected via an infrared helium signature (the HE I I 10830 Å line). Its large mass helps him to keep most of his envelope, but a smaller planet on the same orbit would lose everything, explaining the hot desert of Neptune. V1298 Tau, around 20 million years old, welcomes four planets the size of a Saturn probably undergoing rapid loss of mass. Their theoretical tracks suggest that they can shrink in sub-neptune or super-terre diets. You-1266 is a mature system whose two planets is now just above the radius gap. We think they started larger but lost most of their atmospheres. You-1266 C can even be up to 50% water by mass. By studying systems through age, mass and the environment, I aim to clarify how atmospheric loss shapes planetary results.
The most rewarding appearance of being astronomer
The most enriching part of being an astronomer is to explore the edge of what we know. We often have only basic properties on a given planet such as size, orbital period, mass, etc. We rarely know the properties of its atmosphere or surface, so that work requires creativity, tool design, theoretical models and methods that extend our understanding.
This trip is also personal. I was a division I football player whose career ended with an injury. I went back to school with a new goal: to become astrophysicist. Scientific communication has triggered this change for me. Realizing that there were planets beyond our solar system right there in the galaxy while waiting to be studied threw a switch for me.
Now I can share this wonder with others. Scientific communication is at the heart of my work. I want to reach people who may not see themselves in science, because I think most people are curious about the universe and just need it to be presented in the right way. Helping to establish this connection is one of the most significant parts of work.