The search for exomoons and the characterization of exoplanet atmospheres

Abstract

Since planets were first discovered outside our own Solar System in 1992 (around a pulsar) and in 1995 (around a main sequence star), extrasolar planet studies have become one of the most dynamic research fields in astronomy. Now that more than 370 exoplanets have been discovered, focus has moved from finding planets to characterise these alien worlds. As well as detecting the atmospheres of these exoplanets, part of the characterisation process undoubtedly involves the search for extrasolar moons. A review on the current situation of exoplanet characterization is presented in Chapter 3. We focus on the characterization of transiting planets orbiting very close to their parent star since for them we can already probe their atmospheric constituents. By contrast, the second part of the Chapter is dedicated to the search for extraterrestrial life, both within and beyond the Solar System. The characteristics of the Habitable Zone and the markers for the presence of life (biosignatures) are detailed. In Chapter 4 we describe the primary transit observations of the hot Jupiter HD 209458b we obtained at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8 and 8.0 micron using IRAC/Spitzer. Chapter 5 is dedicated to the search for exomoons, we review a model for the TTV and TDV signals which permits not only the identification of exomoons but also the derivation of some of their characteristics. Finally, in Chapter 6 the detectability of a habitable-zone exomoon around various configurations of exoplanetary systems with the Kepler Mission or photometry of approximately equal quality is investigated. We find that habitable-zone exomoons down to 0.2 Earth Masses may be detected.