Adam Frank
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester (NY, US)

Abstract
After a brief description of exoplanet and astrobiological studies by our group at the University of Rochester, the bulk of this talk will focus on the problem of exoplanet atmospheric stripping. There is now ample evidence that exo-planets can experience atmospheric mass loss significant enough to change their evolutionary trajectories. Such mass loss may, for example, be significant for questions of habitability. I'll begin with an introduction to the observational and theoretical basis for planetary mass loss via photoevaporation and then describe a campaign of high resolution numerical simulations of the problem. Using the 3-D AMR MHD multi-physics code AstroBEAR, we have explored the launching of planetary winds via the transfer of UV photons into the atmosphere of Jupiter mass exoplanets on "hot" orbits. Mapping the outflow trajectories, we attempt to identify the most important physical processes that determine the outflow properties. Using synthetic transit observations we show where the models match and, more significantly, do not match the models.

2022 May 31, 11:00

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