AST Colloquium - Small Stars with Small Planets and Big Consequences
Small Stars with Small Planets and Big ConsequencesDr. Philip MuirheadAssistant Professor, Department of AstronomyBoston UniversityAbstract:The field of extrasolar planets is rapidly evolving. The quest to discover ever more and ever smaller exoplanets has pushed the field in two directions: (1) toward a comprehensive assessment of the frequency and statistics of various types of exoplanets -- used to constrain planet formation and evolution theories -- and (2) toward characterizing the composition, atmosphere, and evolution of individual exoplanets as though they were planets in our own Solar System. I will discuss the importance of low-mass stars in this context, emphasizing the phenomenal results from the NASA Kepler Mission, new results from ground-based surveys and TESS, and our efforts to characterize individual terrestrial exoplanets orbiting low-mass stars with existing and new ground based instrumentation. Finally, I will discuss a new project to search for planets orbiting brown dwarfs called PINES: The Perkins Infrared Exosatellite Survey.Speaker Bio:Dr. Muirhead is an assistant professor in the Department of Astronomy, the Institute for Astrophysical Research and the Core Curriculum at Boston University. He leads a research group aimed at understanding the variety of extrasolar planets orbiting low-mass stars.Intended Audience:No background knowledge is required. All are welcome.
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Open to the Public