PALS: Katherine Bennet (JHU), The Life of a Space Telescope (JWST’s Version): Or, How We’re Learning More About Rocky Worlds and Gas Giants Than Ever Before

The Life of a Space Telescope (JWST’s Version): Or, How We’re Learning More About Rocky Worlds and Gas Giants Than Ever Before

Katherine Bennet
Ph.D. Student
Morton K. Blaustein Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences
Johns Hopkins University

Abstract: The James Webb Space Telescope has revolutionized the field of exoplanets. From searching for atmospheres on rocky exoplanets to revealing the morning weather report on hot Jupiters, we are only just beginning to fully uncover what JWST is capable of. In this talk, I will demonstrate how information-rich the spectra of JWST are in two distinct science cases. The first concerns one of the most outstanding questions in exoplanet astronomy – do rocky planets orbiting small M dwarf stars retain atmospheres in the face of their temperamental hosts? I show how combining results from the complimentary techniques of transmission and emission spectroscopy provides the most stringent constraint possible on whether a planet has an atmosphere. Secondly, I will talk about how we are using JWST to separately probe the mornings and evenings of gas giants – and how accounting for differences between the morning and evening is critical for accurate interpretation of planetary atmospheres. Through this, I will advocate for optimizing observing strategies to continue to tease out all the information possible in the spectra of these distant worlds.

Host:  Hayley Beltz