Saltar para o conteúdo principal

FCCNFCT Digital Services

Access the national information on scientific and technological funding in Portugal

Activity Funded

Star-exoplanet compositional link: towards realistic characterization of terrestrial planets

O elo na relação química estrela-planeta: rumo à caracterização realista de planetas terrestres

Reference
2022.06962.PTDC
Project Start Date
2023-01-01
Project End Date
2024-12-31
Principal Investigator
Coinvestigator
Scientific Area
Exact sciences
Funding Program
Concurso de Projetos de I&D em Todos os Domínios Científicos - 2022 - PEX

Abstract

Are there other Earths and Life in the Universe? What do they look like? Even though we have never been closer to answering these important and daring questions, we still need to improve our ability of accurate characterization of telluric planets. The EXO-TERRA project is aimed at contributing to achieve this pivotal goal by improving our understanding of the compositional characterization of terrestrial planets. Based on objective measures, throughout the proposal, we will demonstrate that our project meets the fundamental conditions for the success of this endeavor: i) a team with multidisciplinary expertise, ii) a clear strategy and methodology, and iii) a well-defined sample to apply these methodologies and expertise. Over the last decade, noticeable advances were made in the modeling of the internal properties of terrestrial planets. It is, for instance, known that knowledge of the radius and mass of the planets (that can be obtained only if the stellar radius and stellar mass are known) allows to characterize their bulk composition. However, the knowledge we can obtain about planet interiors only from mass and radius remains limited. In order to improve interior characterization, compositional correlations between planets and their host stars are now being intensively investigated. Linking the properties of planets and stars is the clue for the precise characterization of both planets and their host stars. The main motivation and aim of the proposed multi-disciplinary team - consisting of experts working on stellar and exoplanet astrophysics - is to take full advantage of our strong involvement in the ESPRESSO@VLT (ESO) and CHEOPS (ESA) consortia to study the star-planet compositional link with the ultimate goal of characterizing terrestrial planets orbiting solar-type stars. In this respect, the unique data products we have privileged access to are pivotal for the success of achieving our science goals. Likewise, the full scientific exploitation of these data is strategic for our team and institute which has a very strong investment in the development of these facilities. The astrophysical questions that the EXO-TERRA team will attempt to answer in the project are: - What is the origin of the compositional diversity of terrestrial planets? - Around which stars should we search for Earth 2.0? The EXO-TERRA project meets the objectives of the SR&TD Project call. Our project will decisively help to strengthen the foundations of the National Science and Technology System through a research program that aims at scientific exploitation of data obtained by European missions and instruments in which our institute contributed with significant human and financial investment. The results of this project and knowledge generated by these results will serve as a springboard to future European missions (e.g. PLATO, ARIEL, in which our team is significantly involved), thus further establishing our position at the forefront of exoplanetary and stellar sciences. The EXO-TERRA project also has strong training and science communication components, both aspects encouraged within the scope of the SR&TD Project call and compliant with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2030 Agenda).

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA)

Funding 49.609,45 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

49.609,45 €