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SUMMARY:Sizing-up extrasolar planets - Andrew Collier Cameron (University 
 of St Andrews)
DTSTART:20080527T153000Z
DTEND:20080527T163000Z
UID:TALK11631@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Jane Buckle
DESCRIPTION:mong more than 277 extra-solar planets discovered since 1995\,
  the 42 or so that transit their host stars (of which 15 have been found b
 y the SuperWASP project) are highly prized. Their radii and masses can be 
 determined unambiguously from their light curves and reflex radial-velocit
 y variations. With the help of planetary structural models\, we gain impor
 tant insights into their interior structures. Their host-star properties a
 nd orbital elements offer clues to their formation and subsequent evolutio
 n. We can measure the drop in thermal-infrared radiation as they pass behi
 nd their host stars\, giving us a glimpse of the thermal structure of thei
 r upper atmospheres. Their atmospheric transmission spectra probe their at
 mospheric chemistry.\n\nIn this colloquium I'll review what's been happeni
 ng in exoplanetary science over the last few years\, and present the story
  of how the UK Wide-Angle Search for Planets (WASP) evolved from small beg
 innings into the world's most ambitious and successful survey for bright t
 ransiting planets. I'll describe the latest batch of ten WASP planets foun
 d since Christmas\, and discuss what we are learning about them through gr
 ound and space-based follow-up programmes. I'll end with an overview of pr
 esent and future space missions that offer the prospect of characterising 
 ice-giants and super-Earths in the same way. 
LOCATION:Ryle Seminar Room\, Cavendish Laboratory
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