While radial velocity surveys have demonstrated that the population of gas giants peaks around 3 au, the most recent high-contrast imaging surveys have only been sensitive to planets beyond ∼ […]
Spectroscopy
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, Gas Giants, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
Jupiter Science Enabled by ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer
ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) will provide a detailed investigation of the Jovian system in the 2030s, combining a suite of state-of-the-art instruments with an orbital tour tailored to […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
A Water-Rich Atmosphere or Stellar Contamination for the Warm Super-Earth GJ~486b from JWST Observations
Planets orbiting M-dwarf stars are prime targets in the search for rocky exoplanet atmospheres. The small size of M dwarfs renders their planets exceptional targets for transmission spectroscopy, facilitating atmospheric […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
New Bistable Solutions in Molecular Cloud Chemistry: Nitrogen and Carbon Autocatalysis
We have investigated the chemistry of dense interstellar clouds and found new bistable solutions in the nitrogen and carbon chemistries.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Robustness Measures For Molecular Detections Using High-Resolution Transmission Spectroscopy Of Exoplanets
Ground-based high-resolution transmission spectroscopy has emerged as a promising technique for detecting chemicals in transiting exoplanetary atmospheres. Despite chemical inferences in several exoplanets and previous robustness studies, a robust and […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
The First Circumbinary Planet Discovered With Radial Velocities
We report the detection of a gas-giant planet in orbit around both stars of an eclipsing binary star system that also contains the smaller, inner transiting planet TOI-1338b.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
The CARMENES Search For Exoplanets Around M Dwarfs. Guaranteed Time Observations Data Release 1 (2016-2020)
The CARMENES instrument was conceived to deliver high-accuracy radial velocity (RV) measurements with long-term stability to search for temperate rocky planets around a sample of nearby cool stars.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
AOTF Based Spectro-Polarimeter For Observing Earth As An Exoplanet
Earth is the only known habitable planet and it serves as a testbed to benchmark the observations of temperate and more Earth-like exoplanets.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Carbonaceous Dust Grains Within Galaxies Seen In The First Billion Years Of Cosmic Time
Interstellar dust captures a significant fraction of elements heavier than helium in the solid state and is an indispensable component both in theory and observations of galaxy evolution.
Posted inBiochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Status Report
Stability of DL-Glyceraldehyde under Simulated Hydrothermal Conditions: Synthesis of Sugar-like Compounds in an Iron(III)-Oxide-Hydroxide-Rich Environment under Acidic Conditions
Researchers have suggested that the condensation of low-molecular-weight aldehydes under basic conditions (e.g., pH > 11) is the prebiotic reaction responsible for the abiotic formation of carbohydrates.