Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Apr
15
2026
Apr
15
2026
Description
Atmospheric Characterization of Terrestrial Exoplanets Straddling the Cosmic Shoreline
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has enabled tentative detections of planetary atmospheres around terrestrial planets orbiting M dwarfs. However, our ability to definitively characterize and model the compositions of these atmospheres is lacking, especially for thinner and potentially habitable atmospheres. We can extrapolate lessons learned from terrestrial planetary atmospheres in the Solar System, and their long term cosmochemical formation and evolution, to infer areas of improvement in atmospheric models of rocky exoplanets. In this talk, we will unveil new atmospheric modeling tools adapted into the PICASO open-source radiative transfer and climate modeling framework, originally designed for gas giants and brown dwarfs, to model the physics of terrestrial planetary atmospheres by taking a deeper consideration of the chemistry and opacities relevant in the non-hydrogen-dominated small planet regime. We will walk through real observations and outline the current themes emerging from terrestrial exoplanets in the JWST era. We will also tease how we are using PICASO to address important questions regarding the evolution of rocky planet atmospheres and the cosmic shoreline for preparation of Habitable Worlds Observatory.
Other Events in This Series
Jan
15
2025
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
No meeting
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm • In Person
Jan
22
2025
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
No talk scheduled
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm • In Person
Jan
29
2025
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Two talks by Astronomy Department graduate students
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm • In Person
Speaker(s): Nathanael Burns-Watson - The University of Texas at Austin and Carlos Jurado - The University of Texas at Austin
Feb
5
2025
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
No talk scheduled
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm • In Person
Feb
12
2025
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Special Seminar: galactic.ai — The New Frontier in Cosmology and Astrophysics
Special Seminar by ChangHoon Hahn of Princeton University
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm • In Person
Speaker(s): ChangHoon Hahn - Princeton University
Feb
19
2025
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Special Seminar: Beyond the Observable - A Machine Learning perspective on modern Cosmology
Special Seminar by Carolina Cuesta of MIT and Harvard University
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm • In Person
Speaker(s): Carolina Cuesta - MIT and Harvard University
Feb
26
2025
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
No talk scheduled
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm • In Person
Mar
5
2025
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
No talk scheduled
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm • In Person
Mar
12
2025
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Two talks by Astronomy Department graduate students
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm • In Person
Speaker(s): Erica Sawczynec - The University of Texas at Austin and James Mang - The University of Texas at Austin
Mar
26
2025
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Stars, Planets, and ISM Seminar
Two talks by UT Astronomy graduate students
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm • In Person
Speaker(s): Malia Kao - The University of Texas at Austin and Shelby Courreges - The University of Texas at Austin