Exoplanetary Atmospheres: Key Insights, Challenges and Prospects. (arXiv:1904.03190v1 [astro-ph.EP])
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Madhusudhan_N/0/1/0/all/0/1">Nikku Madhusudhan</a>
Exoplanetary science is on the verge of an unprecedented revolution. The
thousands of exoplanets discovered over the past decade have most recently been
supplemented by discoveries of potentially habitable planets around nearby
low-mass stars. Currently, the field is rapidly progressing towards detailed
spectroscopic observations to characterise the atmospheres of these planets.
While various surveys from space and ground are expected to detect numerous
more exoplanets orbiting nearby stars, the imminent launch of JWST along with
large ground-based facilities are expected to revolutionise exoplanetary
spectroscopy. Such observations, combined with detailed theoretical models and
inverse methods, provide valuable insights into a wide range of physical
processes and chemical compositions in exoplanetary atmospheres. Depending on
the planetary properties, the knowledge of atmospheric compositions can also
place important constraints on planetary formation and migration mechanisms,
geophysical processes, and, ultimately, biosignatures. In the present review,
we will discuss the modern and future landscape of this frontier area of
exoplanetary atmospheres. We will start with a brief review of the area,
emphasising the key insights gained from different observational methods and
theoretical studies. This is followed by an in-depth discussion of the
state-of-the-art, challenges, and future prospects in three forefront branches
of the area.
Exoplanetary science is on the verge of an unprecedented revolution. The
thousands of exoplanets discovered over the past decade have most recently been
supplemented by discoveries of potentially habitable planets around nearby
low-mass stars. Currently, the field is rapidly progressing towards detailed
spectroscopic observations to characterise the atmospheres of these planets.
While various surveys from space and ground are expected to detect numerous
more exoplanets orbiting nearby stars, the imminent launch of JWST along with
large ground-based facilities are expected to revolutionise exoplanetary
spectroscopy. Such observations, combined with detailed theoretical models and
inverse methods, provide valuable insights into a wide range of physical
processes and chemical compositions in exoplanetary atmospheres. Depending on
the planetary properties, the knowledge of atmospheric compositions can also
place important constraints on planetary formation and migration mechanisms,
geophysical processes, and, ultimately, biosignatures. In the present review,
we will discuss the modern and future landscape of this frontier area of
exoplanetary atmospheres. We will start with a brief review of the area,
emphasising the key insights gained from different observational methods and
theoretical studies. This is followed by an in-depth discussion of the
state-of-the-art, challenges, and future prospects in three forefront branches
of the area.
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