Kim Bott (UC Riverside): "Invisible giants: Signatures of hot Jupiters and smaller, cooler worlds in polarized light"

Title: Invisible giants: Signatures of hot Jupiters and smaller, cooler worlds in polarized light

Abstract: Once thought to be ideal targets for polarized reflected light detection due to their large reflecting surfaces and proximity to their stars, hot Jupiters are now known to often have low albedos making them typically poor targets for the method.  Following an introduction to polarimetry and its unique strengths in characterization, I examine the dependency on condensate optical properties and altitude for producing strong polarization signatures as exceptions to the rule.  I examine which types of hot Jupiters may produce a better polarization signature and compare this to recent observations of hot Jupiters with world class polarimeters and the tentative first detection of polarized light from an exoplanet atmosphere.  I also examine the polarimetric signatures of smaller worlds, from hot super Earths and Ice Giants, to true terrestrial twins in the framework of what a non-detection can tell us about a planet's physical state and which objects might be most amenable to detection and characterization with the burgeoning technique of polarimetry.