The cold, the hot, and the puffy. Atmospheric lessons from three transiting exoplanets

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Exoplanets can be detected and studied in transit and eclipse events, when a planet passes in front or is eclipsed by its star as viewed from the Earth. These events provide key information about the atmosphere of exoplanets, and can be used to measure a planets temperature, atmospheric composition, thermal structure, and detect clouds or hazes. Two large programmes on the Hubble Space Telescope and 10.4 meter GTC have been underway lead by Dr. Sing performing a wide-scale atmospheric spectral survey of hot Jupiter exoplanets, gas giant planets found close to their parent stars. For this project, these datasets will be analysed along with Spitzer data, modelled, and used to build complete optical to infrared transmission spectra. Our observational efforts will be combined with a broad and inclusive theoretical modeling programme, where we will incorporate a full range of crucial physical effects together, including notably clouds and hazes, modelling the complete atmosphere in a self-consistent manner with a 3D global circulation model. Focus will be given on on two key scientific contributions, addressing why some hot Jupiters have hazes & clouds while others do not, and the outstanding issue on the presence or absence of stratospheres.