Lines of research: Exoplanetary Systems & Solar System (SEYSS)

Exoplanetary Systems & Solar System (SEYSS)

The area of planetary and solar systems involves several research groups working on Exoplanets, Solar System and Cultural Astronomy. Our main objectives are:

  • The detection and characterization of giant and rocky planets around nearby stars using the most advanced instruments (CARMENES, ESPRESSO, HARPS Norte y Sur, SONG, LCO, MUSCAT2) and space missions (CoRoT, Kepler K2, CHEOPS, TESS and PLATO). The group is particularly interested in the study of terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of their host stars where water can be in liquid form.
  • The characterization of the atmospheres of planets to know their structure and composition, both by transits and direct imaging, using ground-based telescopes such as GTC and space missions such as CHEOPS.
  • Investigate the formation of exoplanet systems by studying the chemical composition of planet host stars, and the dynamical evolution of exoplanets at their early stages of formation.
  • Study the physical properties of different families of minor bodies of the Solar System (asteroids, comets, trans-neptunian objects, etc.) to understand the origin and evolution of Solar System with GTC and space missions such as OSIRIS-REx.
  • The study of ancient cosmologies through cultural astronomy and the defense of cultural heritage through the astronomy.
  • Gallery
    Videos asteroids, comets and meteors
  • Publication
    Vinylacetylene synthesis with a low power submerged carbon arc in n-hexane
  • Publication
    Visible and near-infrared observations of asteroid 2012 DA14 during its closest approach of February 15, 2013
    Context. Near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 made its closest approach on February 15, 2013, when it passed at a distance of 27 700 km from the Earth's surface. It...
  • Publication
    Visible and near-infrared observations of interstellar comet 2I/Borisov with the 10.4-m GTC and the 3.6-m TNG telescopes
    In this work, we present the results of an observational study of 2I/Borisov carried out with the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) and the 3.6-m Telescopio...
  • Publication
    Visible spectra of (474640) 2004 VN112-2013 RF98 with OSIRIS at the 10.4 m GTC: evidence for binary dissociation near aphelion among the extreme trans-Neptunian objects
    The existence of significant anisotropies in the distributions of the directions of perihelia and orbital poles of the known extreme trans-Neptunian objects...
  • Publication
    Visible spectroscopy in the neighborhood of 2003EL{61}
    Context: The recent discovery of a group of trans-neptunian objects (TNOs) in a narrow region of the orbital parameter space and with surfaces composed of...
  • Publication
    Visible spectroscopy of the Sulamitis and Clarissa primitive families: a possible link to Erigone and Polana
    The low-inclination (i 8∘) primitive asteroid families in the inner main belt, that is, Polana-Eulalia, Erigone, Sulamitis, and Clarissa, are considered to be...
  • Publication
    VLT X-Shooter spectroscopy of the nearest brown dwarf binary
    Aims: The aim of the project is to characterise the two components of the brown dwarf system nearest to the Sun, WISE J104915.57-531906.1 (also called Luhman...
  • Publication
    Warm terrestrial planet with half the mass of Venus transiting a nearby star
    In recent years, the advent of a new generation of radial velocity instruments has allowed us to detect planets with increasingly lower mass and to break the...