SEMINÁRIO DO DEPARTAMENTO DE ASTRONOMIA
The Quest for Rocky Planet Atmospheres: Investigating Detection, Evolution, and Habitability
a talk by Dr. Raissa Estrela (NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory) - In-Person
Abstract:
The detection of multiple exoplanets around bright stars with NASA's TESS mission, combined with the precision of the NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) marks a revolutionary phase in our comprehension of small exoplanets (<3R⨁). With the growing catalog of identified planets and advancements in both space- and ground-based observations, the Astrophysics 2020 Decadal Survey highlights the 2020s and beyond as a pivotal period for advancing exoplanet atmospheric characterization. In this talk, I will discuss the challenges of detecting and characterizing the atmospheres of rocky planets with space-based telescopes and discuss the exciting prospects for studying potentially habitable worlds.
Short-Bio:
Raissa Estrela is a researcher scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. She has a degree in Physics from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, and a master's and doctorate in Geospatial Sciences from Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie. Her doctoral thesis was awarded best thesis of 2020 by the International Astronomical Union. Currently, Raissa works on the characterization of exoplanets and is a member of the scientific committee for NASA space missions, such as the Habitable Worlds Observatory and CASE (Contribution to ARIEL Spectroscopy of Exoplanets). She also serves on the scientific committee for NASA's EMIT mission, focused on identifying greenhouse gas emitters on our planet to combat climate change.