Seminar: Cloud formation in 3D exoplanet atmospheres

Sven Kiefer (PhD Student, IWF Graz) will talk about his ongoing work of implementing clouds in 3D climate models for extrasolar planets

The climate of hot Jupiters is unlike anything we know from our Solar System. These tidally locked gas-giants have a hot day-side, a cold night-side, and a strong equatorial wind jet. If we want to interpret observations from CHEOPS, JWST, PLATO, and Ariel a detailed understanding of the three dimensional atmospheric structures of hot Jupiters is required.
 

In this seminar, I will highlight the importance of clouds in the atmosphere of exoplanets. Even though the temperatures in hot Jupiters are too hot for water clouds, other materials like silicates and iron-bearing species can from clouds. I will explain how the formation of these clouds impacts the chemistry, temperature, and wind structure of exoplanet atmospheres and observations.