Admission requirements
Bachelor in Astronomy or equivalent in particular on radiative processes and stars. Basic programming skills.
Description
We are in a unique time to study planets. Not only do we have space missions such as Cassini and Juno, which have led to a radical change in our knowledge of the giants in our solar system, but we also have an astonishing number of more than 4000 exoplanets that have been discovered in the last three decades. Each new exoplanet highlights a stunning diversity and impacts the perception and understanding of our own solar system. This course will provide an overview of our current theoretical understanding of the physical and chemical processes that occur in planets interiors and their atmospheres. This understanding is crucial to interpret observations, and to know where the field is moving for the developing of future instrumentation.
The detailed outline is:
Radiative transfer in (exo)planet atmospheres
Chemistry in (exo)planet atmospheres
Principles of fluid dynamics and applications to circulation in atmospheres
Interaction between the planets and the host star: atmospheric escape
Interiors or rocky planets
Interiors of giant planets: inflation in hot-Jupiters
Interactions between interiors and atmospheres: surface, ocean and volcanoes
The concept of habitability
Course objectives
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
Distinguish the main physical and chemical processes that shape the atmospheres and interiors of (exo)planets.
Discuss and follow current literature in exoplanets
Use state-of-the-art codes to model exoplanets interiors and atmospheres
Name the main uncertainties in the current knowledge of Exoplanet interiors and atmospheres
Identify synergies between our Solar system and Exoplanets
Timetable
In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.
Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.
Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.
Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.
Mode of instruction
Weekly lectures, and bi-weekly tutorial sessions. During the lectures there will be an introduction to the topic and basic physics followed by a discussion of relevant papers on the topic presented by the students and debates on this. During the tutorial sessions, students will use open source codes used in exoplanet research to solve different problems.
Assessment method
Presentation of papers and debates during the lectures (20%), tutorial essay (30%) and final project (50%)
Reading list
Principles of Planetary Climate - Ray Pierrehumbert Exoplanet Atmospheres - Sara Seager
Papers selected during the classes
Registration
As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.
In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.
There are two enrolment periods per year:
Enrolment for the fall opens in July
Enrolment for the spring opens in December
See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.
Note:
It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.
Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.
Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.
Contact
Lecturer: Dr. Y. Miguel
Remarks
Soft skills
Oral and writing communication (presenting, speaking, listening, writing)
Critical thinking (asking questions, check assumptions)
Creative thinking (resourcefulness, curiosity, thinking out of the box)
Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.