Course syllabus

Welcome!

Reading instructions will be uploaded under Files/Reading instructions/ before each lecture. Prepare before each session and participate in the discussions.

 

Course-PM

SEE145 (GU course code is FAM145) Exoplanets and the solar system period 2 fall 2024 (7.5 hp).

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

 

Contact details

  • Carina Persson, professor, Astronomy and Plasma physics, SEE, carina.persson@chalmers.se, 0768-669604: Examiner, lecturer (all lectures except 2 and 3), presentations, exercise 6, and two compulsory assignments.
  • Theo Khouri, senior researcher, Astronomy and Plasma physics, SEE, theo.khouri@chalmers.se: Lecturer (lecture 2-3) and exercises 1-3. 
  • Emil Knudstrup, postdoc, Astronomy and Plasma physics, SEE emil.knudstrup@chalmers.se: Guest lecturer (part of lecture 5). 

 

Schedule overview (detailed schedule, lecture plan, and link to TimeEdit below)

Start: Monday 4 Nov 2024.
End: Wednesday 18 Dec (7 weeks).  

14 lectures: Mondays 10.00-11.45 and Wednesdays 10.00-11.45. 
6 exercises/presentations: Wednesdays 13.15-15.00 except 27 Nov since you have the afternoon off for the labor market fair (FARM).

 

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.

 

Learning objectives and syllabus

Learning objectives

- Describe the structure of the solar system and the fundamental properties and physical processes 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. 
- Detection methods and challenges.
- Telescopes and instrumentation. Ground vs space-based telescopes.
- Planet interiors. 
- Surface processes.
- Planet atmospheres and atmospheric escape. 
- The diversity of exoplanets, demographics and occurence. 
- Architecture of exoplanet systems. 
- Introduction to planet formation theories.
- Habitability criteria.

 

Course design

In addition to lectures, exercises and a written exam there will be three compulsory assignments which have to be passed in order to get the final grade of the course.

 

Examination form

Exam (100% of the grade):
First exam: afternoon 16 January 2025 (4 hours). 
Re-exam 1: afternoon 16 April 2025 (4 hours). 
Re-exam 2: afternoon 20 Aug 2025 (4 hours). 

You do not have to remember any equations or constants. You are allowed to bring Physics Handbook (or similar) and a calculator. Notes in the handbook are allowed. An extra sheet with relevant formula and constants will also be attached to the exam.

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.
  • EA = "Exoplanet atmospheres, Physical processes", Sara Seager, 2010. Chapter 4.5.
  • Lecture power points (will be uploaded after each lecture to "Files/LecturePPT/").
  • Selected articles (will be uploaded to "Files/Articles/") in advance.

Compulsory assignments (pass/not passed) 

1) Oral presentation of a chosen topic to be presented on Wednesday 4 and 11 Dec. List of topics is uploaded to Files/Assignments/Assignment 1/ and will be discussed in lecture 1. You can also define your own topic. Send an email to Carina with your chosen topic. One student/topic. Several students can work on topics 1 (in-depth study of one of the solar system planets, moons, dwarf planets or small solar system bodies) and 2 (spacecraft exploration of the solar system; describe one mission and its results in depth) provided you choose different objects or missions. Maximum 2 students / 45 min. Depending on the number of students we may need longer sessions or an extra day.

Include clear references to where the information you use originally came from. References to ChatGPT, Wikipedia, or similar are not allowed. Webpages from universities, space agencies, (planet) organizations, etc. are allowed as well as scientific journals and books.

Upload your final presentation to Canvas to Files/Assignment 1/Presentations/4 Dec or 11 Dec (or send it to Carina so she can upload it) minimum two days in advance.

Read the presentations of the other students and prepare questions to facilitate a discussion of each topic.

2) Dynamics: investigate orbits and resonances with the software Rebound and Jupyter notebooks. Instructions and links to Rebound and notebooks is uploaded to Files/Assignments/Assignment 2/. Groups of 2 - 3 students are allowed, however, make individual Jupyter notebooks. Introduction to the assignment in exercise 2. Deadline Friday 29 Nov. Send your Jupyter notebooks and written answers to the questions (if not in the notebook) by email to Theo (and cc Carina).

3) Exoplanet detection and modeling. Will be introduced in exercise 3 by Theo who will help you with the software. Data and instructions are uploaded to Files/Assignments/Assignment3/. Deadline 10 Jan 2025. Send the written report to Carina (and cc Theo). Groups of 2 - 3 students are allowed, however, you will all work on your own planet(s) and write individual reports. The assignment is divided in two parts:
    a) Exoplanet detection in transit photometry using the python software Lightkurve with a Jupyter notebook. Detect the planet, find the orbital period, and compute the planet radius.
    b) Perform basic modeling of radial velocities (RVs) to obtain planet mass using the orbital period obtained from the transit photometry as input (Jupyter notebook).
  
Detailed schedule 

(Lecture rooms are found here TimeEdit)

First week (week 45)

Lecture 1, Monday 4 Nov, 10.00-11.45: Introduction and overview of the course. Introduction to assignment 1 (Carina)

Lecture 2, Wednesday 6 Nov, 10.00-11.45: Dynamics (Theo)

Exercise 1, Wednesday 6 Nov, 13.15-15.00: Exercise dynamics (Theo)

Second week (week 46)

Lecture 3, Monday 11 Nov, 10.00-11.45: Stars and brown dwarfs (Theo)

Lecture 4, Wednesday 13 Nov, 10.00-11.45: Exploration of the solar system (Carina)

Exercise 2, Wednesday 13 Nov, 13.15-15.00: Exercise dynamics and stars. Introduction to assignment 2 (Theo)

Third week (week 47)

Lecture 5, Monday 18 Nov, 10.00-11.45: Overview exoplanet detection methods. Basics radiation. The radial velocity method (Carina) 

Lecture 6, Wednesday 20 Nov, 10.00-11.45: Detection method: Transit photometry (Carina) and the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect (Emil Knudstrup)

Exercise 3, Wednesday 20 Nov, 13.15-15.00: Introduction to assignment 3 (Theo)

Fourth week (week 48)

Lecture 7, Monday 25 Nov, 10.00-11.45: Detection methods: imaging, microlensing, and astrometry (Carina)

Lecture 8, Wednesday 27 Nov, 10.00-11.45: Planet atmospheres (Carina)

Exercise, Wednesday 27 Nov, 13.15-15.00: No exercise (afternoon off for labor market fair, FARM)

Friday 29 Nov: Deadline Assignment 2.

Fifth week (week 49)

Lecture 9, Monday 2 Dec, 10.00-11.45: Atmospheric escape. Observations of exoplanet atmospheres (Carina)

Lecture 10, Wednesday 4 Dec, 10.00-11.45: Planetary interiors (Carina)

Exercise 4, Wednesday 4 Dec, 13.15-15.00: Oral presentation of assignment 1 (Carina)

Sixth week (week 50)

Lecture 11, Monday 9 Dec, 10.00-11.45: Surface processes (Carina)

Lecture 12, Wednesday 11 Dec, 10.00-11.45: Demography and exoplanet diversity. Architecture of exoplanet systems (Carina) 

Exercise 5, Wednesday 11 Dec, 13.15-15.00: Oral presentation of assignment 1 (Carina)

Seventh week (week 51)

Lecture 13, Monday 16 Dec, 10.00-11.45: Introduction to planet formation and migration (Carina)

Lecture 14, Wednesday 18 Dec, 10.00-11.45: Habitability criteria. Searches for life (Carina) 

Exercise 6, Wednesday 18 Dec, 13.15-15.00: Typical exam questions (Carina)

Assignment 3 deadline 10 Jan 2025

Exam (100% of the grade):
First exam: afternoon 16 January 2025 (4 hours). 
Re-exam 1: afternoon 16 April 2025 (4 hours). 
Re-exam 2: afternoon 20 Aug 2025 (4 hours).