Seminar: Cloud formation in 3D exoplanet atmospheres
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.