Presentation

Joint astronomy and atomic physics project that will use high resolution infrared stellar spectra to characterise exoplanet host stars with the aim at better understanding the process of formation of different types of planets. This will include determining the type of star (the so-called stellar parameters, effective temperature, surface gravity and metallicity), and the abundances of elements in the star. Since the abundances of elements in the star are expected to be the same as those in the protoplanetary disk that any planets formed from, these abundances can reveal the chemistry of the planets and hence help advance our understanding of planetary formation. So, the project will include identifying and determining atomic data of importance to this analysis. Stellar spectra will be collected using international telescopes and atomic data will be determined using both national and international laboratories as well as atomic structure calculations.

Publications