Abstract

Most stars with planetary systems will end their lives as white dwarfs. A significant fraction of white dwarfs have accreted metals from their own planetary systems. The relative quantities of these metals can be measured, thereby turning these so-called “polluted” white dwarfs into an unlikely source of valuable information about exoplanetary material. In this talk, I will discuss some of the key results from modelling white dwarf pollution, including the formation conditions of exoplanetary material, the possible presence of water, and the fate of planets after the death of their star. I will also present preliminary results characterising uncertainties associated with the white dwarf atmosphere itself, and I will discuss their impact on our understanding of exoplanetary material.