2024 Sagan Summer Workshop Advances in Direct Imaging: From Young Jupiters to Habitable Earths

Direct imaging and spectroscopy has become a standard tool for studying the atmospheres and orbits of young, self-luminous giant planets in wide orbits. Advances in starlight suppression and spectroscopy technologies and techniques have gradually improved sensitivity to lower-mass and closer-in young planets. Going forward, ground- and space-based observatories will have complementary roles to play in the study of mature planetary systems, whether the search for biosignatures on Earth-like planets or the characterization of the variety of planetary system architectures.

This workshop will cover the scientific questions in exoplanets motivating direct imaging. Sessions will explore basic optical principles of high-contrast imaging and the fundamentals of coronagraph and wavefront sensing technologies and high-contrast instrument design. Presentations and group exercises will cover approaches to starlight/PSF subtraction and to planet and disk recovery, determination of orbits from imaging observations, and other topics. The workshop will conclude with a look toward future facilities.

The 2024 workshop will be hybrid with both in-person and on-line attendance. The Sagan Summer Workshops are aimed at advanced undergraduates, grad students, and postdocs, however all are welcome to attend. There is no registration fee for these workshops.

For more information and to register, please see the workshop website.