UW Astrobiology Colloquium

Overview

Natasha Batalha, PhD  Penn State, Astrophysics & Astrobiology
  UW Physics & Astronomy Auditorium, Room PAA 118.
   Meet & Greet for refreshments in foyer at 2:30pm
    For Zoom instructions, call Lisa Young at 206-543-2604            

The Open Access Era of Exoplanet Characterization at the Onset of Next-Generation Telescopes 

One of NASA's primary goals is to observationally characterize exoplanet atmospheres, understand the chemical and physical processes of exoplanets and improve the understanding of the origins of exoplanetary systems. Throughout the next decade and beyond, JWST, Roman, future mission concepts, and ground-based telescopes will work towards achieving these goals by interpreting a diverse set of exoplanet atmosphere observations, ranging from hot gas giants to small temperate rocky worlds. Our understanding and interpretation of this full gamut of spectroscopy data will hinge on our ability to accurately link observations to theoretical models. Therefore, it is imperative that our theoretical models are equipped to tackle these problems. In concert with this new era in exoplanetary space science, specifically ushered in by the exquisite data of JWST, NASA has declared 2023 the Year of Open Science. Leading up to this, one of our goals has been to ensure that the community is equipped with findable, accessible, interpretable, and reproducible theoretical models needed to both plan and execute ground-breaking science. Open access tools increase the accessibility of our science, the diversity of ideas, and foster equitable collaborations.