Our research group explores and characterizes planets and planetary systems by:
1) measuring their fundamental physical parameters, such as surface temperature, albedo, orbital semi-major axis, and planetary radii distributions;
2) studying planetary systems in formation, to quantify the constraints planet formation itself puts on bulk composition as a function of planet mass.
Justin Rogers, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University, is using ultra high-precision photometry of exoplanetary transits, when the planet passes behind its host stars, to measure the brightness of hot jupiters. Justin regularly uses the Apache Point 3.5m telescope and the Very Large Telescope in Chile for these observations.
Justin’s work is co-advised by M. Lopez-Morales and D. Apai and is funded by the National Science Foundation and the STScI Director’s Discretionary Research Funds.
Veselin Kostov, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University, is using adaptive optics systems to directly image exoplanetary systems. Veselin is using the Very Large Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope data to hunt for new exoplanets.
Veselin’s advisor is D. Apai.
László Szűcs, undergraduate student at the University of Szeged, is carrying out comparative studies of planet-forming disks around sun-like/low-mass stars and very low-mass stars, to constrain how planetary systems will vary with stellar mass. Laszlo spent the summer of 2009 at the STScI with the STScI Undergraduate Summer Student Program.
Laszlo is advised by D. Apai and I. Pascucci.
