Nuno M. Rosário
IA / FCUP

Abstract
The discovery of thousands of exoplanets has transformed planetary science, raising questions about Earth's uniqueness as a life-hosting planet. This thesis enhances exoplanet characterization using radial velocity and transit photometry. First, we refine the parameters of the HD 15337 system’s two planets using TESS, CHEOPS, and HARPS, improving mass and radius measurements to constrain interior structure models.
Despite increased precision, inherent degeneracies persist. Next, we analyze tidal interactions between stars and close-in hot Jupiters, using TESS data to update transit timings for WASP-18b and WASP-19b, providing new constraints on stellar tidal dissipation. Additionally, we study the development of a model to compute a planet’s internal structure given the additional constraint of the Love number, linking tidal deformation to core mass. Preliminary results and future directions are discussed. This work advances exoplanetary science by refining planetary parameters, exploring tidal interactions, and improving interior models. Future missions like PLATO and spectroscopic observations from JWST and ARIEL are expected to be key to resolving model uncertainties, deepening our understanding of planetary structures and evolution, together with the development of better theoretical models.

2025 February 26, 13:30

IA/U.Porto
Centro de Astrofísica da Universidade do Porto (Classroom)
Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto