Revealing the Nature, Diversity, and Formation of Super-Earth Exoplanets

未来五年将是行星天体物理学史上一个真正独特的机会。这是第一次，我们有观测技术，理论模型，以及足够数量的已知系外行星绕着附近的恒星运行，以光谱表征各种各样的行星-从热的巨行星到温带地球大小的行星，位于其宿主恒星的可居住区。我的团队目前处于一个独特的位置，可以在这个快速发展的系外行星表征领域实现下一个重大飞跃，因为我最近开发了一种新颖的理论建模技术来解释系外行星的光谱观测（Benneke 2016）和我被授予了几个前所未有的观测计划，使用哈勃太空望远镜（334小时），斯皮策太空望远镜（217小时）和凯克天文台（11晚），以获得必要的数据，这一特点。受益于这一独特的起点，我将在蒙特利尔大学建立一个研究小组，该小组将成为系外行星大气层表征的全球领先小组之一。我近期的工作重点是：* 1。第一次全面的光谱调查的行星在有趣的超级地球制度与行星质量之间的地球和海王星（PI Benneke，HST GO 13665，199小时），** 2。第一个大气层特征的行星在其宿主恒星的可居住区（PI Benneke，HST GO 14682，125小时），** 3。第一次紫外线过境观测的可居住区系外行星（PI Benneke，HST GO 14454，10小时），** 4。第一次对海王星到土星质量系外行星的大型光谱调查（PI德明，HST-GO-14260，本提案中未讨论），最后，** 5。第一次详细比较近距离、高辐射的巨行星（"热彗星"）和在宽轨道间隔的自发光巨行星（PI Benneke，11晚，凯克天文台）。这些大型光谱调查将使几个开创性的博士和硕士论文和许多高影响力的本科生项目在加拿大。作为大型HST项目的PI，我将把这些极有价值的HST观测（估计HST运营成本超过700万美元）带到加拿大。然而，为了克服巨大的数据分析任务，我需要在蒙特利尔大学建立一个研究生团队，类似于我目前在加州理工学院指导的5名研究生。然而，不幸的是，在加拿大，我无法获得三笔用于HST数据分析的STScI赠款中的997，000美元。在这里，我请求资助一个由两名博士生和两名硕士生组成的团队，类似于我目前在加州理工学院的团队，这将使我能够将这些巨大项目的科学回报带到加拿大。

The next five years present a truly unique opportunity in the history of planetary astrophysics. For the first time, we have the observational techniques, the theoretical models, and a sufficient number of known exoplanets orbiting nearby stars to spectroscopically characterize a wide diversity of planets—ranging from hot giant planets to temperate Earth-sized planets in the habitable zone of their host stars. My group is currently in a unique position to make the next big leaps in this rapidly growing field of exoplanet characterization because I recently developed a novel theoretical modeling technique to interpret spectroscopic observations of exoplanets (Benneke 2016) and I was awarded several unprecedented observational programs using the Hubble Space Telescope (334 hours), the Spitzer Space Telescope (217 hours), and the Keck observatories (11 nights) to obtain the necessary data for this characterization. Benefitting from this unique starting position, I will establish a research group at Université de Montréal that will be among the worldwide leading groups in the characterization of exoplanet atmospheres. Highlights of my near-term work will be:******1. the first comprehensive spectroscopic survey of planets in the intriguing super-Earth regime with planetary masses between Earth and Neptune (PI Benneke, HST GO 13665, 199 hours),******2. the first atmospheric characterizations of planets in the habitable zone of their host stars (PI Benneke, HST GO 14682, 125 hours),******3. the first ultraviolet transit observation of a habitable-zone exoplanet (PI Benneke, HST GO 14454, 10 hours),******4. the first large spectroscopic survey of Neptune to Saturn-mass exoplanets (PI Deming, HST-GO-14260, not discussed in this proposal), and finally,******5. the first detailed comparison of close-in, highly-irradiated giant planets (“hot Jupiters”) and self-luminous giant planets at wide orbital separations (PI Benneke, 11 nights, Keck observatory).******Together these large spectroscopic surveys will enable several groundbreaking PhD and MSc theses and many high-impact undergraduate student projects in Canada. As the PI of the large HST programs, I will bring most of these extremely valuable HST observations (>$7 million USD in estimated HST operating costs) to Canada. To conquer the tremendous data analysis task, however, I will need to establish a team of graduate students at Université de Montréal similar to the 5 graduate students I am currently advising at CalTech. Unfortunately, however, none of the approved $997,000 USD from the three approved STScI grants for the HST data analysis will be available to me in Canada. Here, I request funds for a team of two doctoral students and two Master's student similar to my current team at Caltech that would enable me bring the scientific return of these tremendous programs to Canada.