DETECTING VOLCANISM ON EXTRASOLAR PLANETS

A New Pupil for Detecting Extrasolar Planets

The challenge for optical detection of terrestial planet is the 25 magnitude brightness contrast between the planet and its host star. This paper introduces a new pupil design that produces a very dark null along its symmetry axis. By changing the shape of the pupil, we can control the depth and location of this null. This null can be further enhanced by combining this pupil with a rooftop null...

Chemical kinetics on extrasolar planets.

Chemical kinetics plays an important role in controlling the atmospheric composition of all planetary atmospheres, including those of extrasolar planets. For the hottest exoplanets, the composition can closely follow thermochemical-equilibrium predictions, at least in the visible and infrared photosphere at dayside (eclipse) conditions. However, for atmospheric temperatures approximately <2000K...

Detecting companions to extrasolar planets using mutual events

Aims. We investigate a new approach to the detection of companions to extrasolar planets beyond the transit method. We discuss the possibility of the existence of “binary planets”. Methods. We develop a method based on the imaging of a planet-companion as an unresolved system (but resolved from its parent star). It makes use of planet-companion “mutual phenomena”, namely mutual transits and mut...

Magnetospheric Emissions from Extrasolar Planets Magnetospheric Emission from Extrasolar Planets

Extrasolar Carbon Planets

We suggest that some extrasolar planets . 60 M will form substantially from silicon carbide and other carbon compounds. Pulsar planets and low-mass white dwarf planets are especially good candidate members of this new class of planets, but these objects could also conceivably form around stars like the Sun. This planet-formation pathway requires only a factor of two local enhancement of the pro...