Dix Planetary Science Seminar

Abstract: : Little experimental laboratory work has been done to explore the properties of photochemical hazes formed in exoplanets, despite their role in atmospheric chemistry and their subsequent possible impact on observations, both for those of current observatories like Hubble and in the future with JWST and ground-based observatories. I will present results of the composition of haze particles produced from exoplanet laboratory studies in the JHU PHAZER laboratory. We detected many complex molecular species in the haze particles, including those with prebiotic applications. I will discuss the implications of these chemical measurements as they compare to existing atmospheric models of exoplanet photochemistry. Additionally, our experimental exoplanetary haze analogues exhibit diverse physical properties, which may help us understand their role as potential cloud condensation nuclei and their role in subsequent atmospheric evolution. Finally, I will discuss how we can apply what we've learned from the laboratory into atmospheric models for existing and future observations of sub-Neptune-sized exoplanets.