2025 Project Description

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Hot and Mysterious: Exploring the Chemical Diversity of Ultra-hot Neptunes

Keywords:

Supervisors

Shang-Min Tsai
Find out more about supervisors on ASIAA website

Task Description and Goals

We now know that planets around other stars are common and diverse, thanks to the pioneering work of the Kepler mission. However, many open questions remain about what they are made of and how they form. When observing the population of exoplanets, one of the intriguing puzzles is the scarcity of planets around the size of Neptune with very short orbital periods (less than about 3-5 days). While astronomers have identified a class of hot Jupiters as well as a class of hot rocky planets, in between, short-period Neptune-sized planets are surprisingly rare -- termed as the "hot Neptune desert". The region is thought to result from gas giants losing their primordial envelopes due to intense stellar radiation.

In this project, we will explore the atmospheric composition of these strange and rare world that do exist in the hot Neptune desert. Using established atmospheric models (e.g., VULCAN), we will simulate their composition under various conditions. Comparing their atmospheres to other Neptune-like planets around the edge of the hot Neptune desert will help us understand the origin story of these planets. Essentially, we aim to understand the planet's past by studying its current observable atmosphere. Through this project, you will 1) develop a broad understanding of exoplanet characterization 2) gain hands-on experience in modeling planetary atmospheres using climate and photochemical tools 3) make synthetic spectra and compare them with the latest JWST data Additionally, other potential projects, such as modeling exoplanet atmospheres or exploring the photochemistry of Mars, are also possible upon discussion. Some of my recent research is highlighted here.

Required Background

Fundamental understanding of physics and chemistry and curiosity about exoplanets are required. Basic knowledge of Python programming and communication in English are strongly preferred.