CaféScientifique is a
nationwide network of groups for the informal discussion of scientific
issues
The next meeting is on
Tuesday 14 November 2023
at 7.00pm at Eagle House Hotel 3, Castle Street,
Launceston PL15 8BA
Dr Eric Hébrard
Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics, University of Exeter
A Hitchhiker’s Guide to (Exo)Planets & their Atmospheric
Chemistry
The study of planetary atmospheres
is a fascinating field of research, at the core of one of the most important
questions we have had since we looked up at the stars and our Solar System
neighbours: “How did we get here?”. This field of research is now rendered
even more exciting by the detection and characterisation of exoplanets,
planets that orbit stars other than the Sun. Eric is studying very different
environments, covering a broad range of physical and chemical conditions,
from the deep chill of our outer Solar System through the hazy skies of
our own early Earth to the blaze of the most recently discovered hot Jupiters.
Diving into their atmospheres, he will take you on a journey to explore
how we assess and what we understand from the truly wild nature of these
alien worlds.
Dr Eric Hébrard is a senior lecturer in Astrophysics at the University of Exeter. He uses computer simulations to understand the chemistry of planetary atmospheres and to predict and interpret their observations by space telescopes, such as Hubble and JWST.
Dr Eric Hébrard is a senior lecturer in Astrophysics at the University of Exeter. He uses computer simulations to understand the chemistry of planetary atmospheres and to predict and interpret their observations by space telescopes, such as Hubble and JWST.