Course syllabus

Welcome!

We will upload lecture notes in advance under "Files - Lecture Notes", please read before the lectures.

Also any power points will also be uploaded (to "Files - Lecture power points")

 

Course-PM

SEE145 SEE145 Exoplanets and the solar system lp2 HT22 (7.5 hp).

Course is offered by the department of Space, Earth and Environment (SEE).

Contact details

  • Carina Persson, associate professor, Astronomy and Plasma physics, SEE, carina.persson@chalmers.se, 0768-669604: Examiner, lecturer, exercises 4-7, and assignment 3.
  • Theo Khouri, senior researcher, Astronomy and Plasma physics, SEE, theo.khouri@chalmers.se: Lecturer (lecture 2-4), exercises 1-3, and assignments 1-2. 
  • Malcolm Fridlund, affiliated professor, Astronomy and Plasma physics, SEE malcolm.fridlund@chalmers.se: Guest lecturer (lecture 12). 

Course purpose

This course provides an introduction to our own solar system and planets orbiting other stars - exoplanets. Thousands of exoplanets have been discovered in recent decades following the development of groundbreaking instruments and facilities, particularly after the launch of several dedicated space telescopes. One of the greatest discoveries is the exceptional diversity of exoplanets where several new types of planets without equivalents in our own solar system have been discovered. The aim is to make students familiar with this new research field and gain an understanding of our own planet and planetary system in this context.

Schedule

Start: Monday 31 Oct 2022.
End: Friday 16 Dec (7 weeks).  

Lectures: Mondays 13.15-15.00 and Thursdays 10.00-11.45. 
Exercises: Fridays 15.15-17.00. 

The first week is an exception since Friday  4 Nov is only half-day. We will therefore have two lectures on Monday afternoon (13.15-15.00 and 15.15-17.00) week 44, and the exercise on Thursday 3 Nov 10.00-11.45.

week 1 (week 44)

Lecture 1, 31 Oct: Introduction (Carina).

Lecture 2, 31 Oct: Dynamics part  I (Theo).

Exercise 1, 3 Nov: Dynamics exercises. (Theo).

week 2 (week 45)

Lecture 3, 7 Nov: Dynamics part II (Theo).

Lecture 4, 10 Nov: Introduction to stars (Theo).

Exercise 2, 11 Nov: Dynamics and stars exercises (Theo).

week 3 (week 46)

Lecture 5, 14 Nov: Detection methods: transit and radial velocity (Carina).

Lecture 6, 17 Nov: Radiation. Detection method: imaging (Carina).

Exercise 3, 18 Nov: Introduction to assignment 1 (Theo). 

week 4 (week 47)

Monday 21 Nov: cancelled.

Lecture 7, 24 Nov: Detection methods: microlensing and astrometry (Carina).

Lecture 8, 25 Nov: Planet atmospheres  (Carina).

week 5 (week 48)

Lecture 9, 28 Nov: Atmospheric escape and transmission spectroscopy (Carina).

Lecture 10, 1 Dec: Planetary interiors (Carina).

Lecture 11, 2 Dec: Planetary surfaces (Carina).

week 6 (week 49)

Lecture 12, 5 Dec: Exploration of the solar system (Carina). 

Lecture 13, 8 Dec: Astrobiology (Malcolm).

Lecture 14, 9 Dec: Exoplanet space missions (Malcolm).

week 7 (week 50)

Lecture 15, 12 Dec: Diversity of exoplanets and occurence rates (Carina). 

Lecture 16, 15 Dec: Architecture of exoplanet systems and introduction to planet formation and migration (Carina).

Exercise 4, 16 Dec: Oral presentations of assignment 2 (Carina). 

Extra session (week 2, 2023)

Monday 9 Jan, Lilla mötesrummet, SEE, Edit-huset, floor 4, 13.15 - 15.00: Questions and typical exam problems.

 

TimeEdit

Course literature (the books are available at Chalmers library as pdf files for download)

  • PS = ``Planetary sciences'' de Pater and Lissauer, updated 2nd edition, 2015. Selected chapters.
  • EH = ``The exoplanet handbook'' Perryman, 2nd edition, 2018. Selected chapters.
  • DM = ``The Doppler Method for the Detection of Exoplanets'', Artie P. Hatzes, 1st edition, 2020. Selected chapters.
  • Lecture Notes (will be uploaded in advance before each lecture to "Files/LectureNotes/").
  • Selected articles (uploaded to "Files/Articles/").

Course design

The lecture notes, problems for the exercises, and selected articles will be uploaded to "Files" before each lecture/exercise. Have a look at the lecture notes and problems before the sessions.

If you have questions between the lectures/exercises you can send your questions on canvas (or by email).

In addition to lectures and exercises there will be two compulsory assignments. They will not give any extra credits on the exam, but have to be passed in order to get the final grade of the course.

Compulsory assignments (all pass/not passed) 

1) Exoplanet detection and modelling, 18 Nov 2022 - 5 Jan 2023, written report, groups of 2 - 3 students are allowed, however, you will all work on your own planets and write individual reports. The assignment is divided in two parts:
    a) Exoplanet detection in transit photometry using the python software Lightkurve (a Jupyter notebook).
        Compute planet radii and orbital period of the planets
    b) Perform basic modelling of radial velocities (RVs) to obtain planet masses.

2) Oral presentation of a chosen topic to be presented on Friday 9 Dec. List of topics will be presented in the beginning of the course. (It is also possible to define your own topic.)

  

Learning objectives and syllabus

Learning objectives

- Describe the structure of the solar system and the basic properties of the planets and moons, including calculations of the planets' orbits. 
- Have an understanding of different detection methods of exoplanets, including the possibilities and limitations of each method and basic application to observational data.
- Give an overview of planet formation theories and how these can explain the diversity of exoplanets and the architecture of planetary systems.

Content

  • Introduction to stars.
  • Structure and exploration of the solar system. 
  • Celestial mechanics. 
  • The road to the discovery of the first exoplanet. 
  • Detection methods and challenges. 
  • Telescopes and instrumentation.
  • Planet interiors. 
  • Planet atmospheres. 
  • Planet categories and the diversity of exoplanets. 
  • Architecture of exoplanet systems. 
  • Demographics. 
  • Introduction to planet formation theories. 
  • Habitability criteria.

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen.

Study plan

Examination form

Exam (100% of the grade):
First exam: afternoon 12 January 2023 (4 hours). 
Re-exam 1: afternoon 5 April 2023 (4 hours). 
Re-exam 2: afternoon 16 Aug 2023 (4 hours).