Exoplanet atmospheres and demographics in the 2040s

Jens Kammerer; Sydney Vach; Sylvestre Lacour; Mathias Nowak; Thomas Winterhalder; Antoine Mérand; Akke Corporaal; Guillaume Bourdarot; Stefan Kraus; Sasha Hinkley

arXiv · 2601.11695

Exoplanet atmospheres and demographics in the 2040s

Jens Kammerer·Sydney Vach·Sylvestre Lacour·Mathias Nowak·Thomas Winterhalder·Antoine Mérand·Akke Corporaal·Guillaume Bourdarot·Stefan Kraus·Sasha Hinkley

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Abstract

Direct observations of exoplanets probe the demographics and atmospheric composition of young self-luminous companions, yielding insight into their formation and early evolution history. In the near future, Gaia will reveal hundreds of nearby young exoplanets amenable to direct follow-up observations. Long-baseline interferometry with current and future facilities is best capable of exploiting this unique synergy which is poised to deliver a statistical sample of benchmark planets with precise dynamical masses and in-depth atmospheric characterization. This will enable tackling the longstanding question of how giant planets form from multiple angles simultaneously, shining light on the complex physical processes underlying planet formation.

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Jens Kammerer, Sydney Vach, Sylvestre Lacour, Mathias Nowak, Thomas Winterhalder, Antoine Mérand, Akke Corporaal, Guillaume Bourdarot, Stefan Kraus, Sasha Hinkley. 2026-01-16. Exoplanet atmospheres and demographics in the 2040s. https://arxiv.org/abs/2601.11695

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