Kevin Hardegree-Ullman (NExScI-IPAC): "Bridging Gaps Along the Exoplanet Continuum"

Title: Bridging Gaps Along the Exoplanet Continuum

Abstract: The taxonomy of exoplanets includes species that range from metallic orbs to gas giants which have more in common with their stellar cousins than their rocky siblings. My work examines the borders between discrete exoplanet categories to paint a clearer picture of the mechanisms that govern planet formation and evolution. In this talk, I will discuss the planet radius valley between super-Earths and sub-Neptunes and two populations that span the Jovian/brown dwarf divide. To begin, I will show the latest results from the first uniform analysis of K2 data and investigate potential differences in the structure of the planet radius valley as a function of stellar host properties. Next, I will introduce an optical transmission spectroscopy survey designed to constrain atmospheric properties of ultra-hot Jupiters and to verify the presence of TiO and VO molecules. Finally, I will present results from a multi-epoch Spitzer study of Y dwarfs. Some of these free-floating Jupiter analogues exhibit changing variability over timescales of months that may be indicative of evolving weather patterns.