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.
  • Publication
    JEM-EUSO: Meteor and nuclearite observations
    Meteor and fireball observations are key to the derivation of both the inventory and physical characterization of small solar system bodies orbiting in the...
  • Publication
    Jupiter as an Exoplanet: UV to NIR Transmission Spectrum Reveals Hazes, a Na Layer, and Possibly Stratospheric H2O-ice Clouds
    Currently, the analysis of transmission spectra is the most successful technique to probe the chemical composition of exoplanet atmospheres. However, the...
  • Publication
    JWST mid-infrared spectroscopy of centaurs and small trans-Neptunian objects: Linking the inner and outer Solar System
    Context. A fraction of the small bodies that formed in the outer Solar System (beyond Uranus and Neptune) are predicted to have been implanted in the inner...
  • Publication
    JWST observations of the Ring Nebula (NGC 6720) – II. PAH emission
    Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and carbonaceous dust have been observed in clumpy circumstellar environments, yet their formation and evolutionary...
  • Publication
    JWST Observations of the Ring Nebula (NGC 6720). III. A Dusty Disk around Its Central Star
    The planetary nebula NGC 6720, also known as the "Ring Nebula," is one of the most iconic examples of nearby planetary nebulae whose morphologies present a...
  • Publication
    JWST observations of the Ring Nebula (NGC 6720): I. Imaging of the rings, globules, and arcs
    We present JWST images of the well-known planetary nebula NGC 6720 (the Ring Nebula), covering wavelengths from 1.6 to 25 $\, \mu$m. The bright shell is...
  • Publication
    K2-106, a system containing a metal-rich planet and a planet of lower density
    Aims: Planets in the mass range from 2 to 15 M⊕ are very diverse. Some of them have low densities, while others are very dense. By measuring the masses and...
  • Publication
    K2-111 b - a short period super-Earth transiting a metal poor, evolved old star
    Context. From a light curve acquired through the K2 space mission, the star K2-111(EPIC 210894022) has been identified as possibly orbited by a transiting...
  • Publication
    K2-111: an old system with two planets in near-resonance
    This paper reports on the detailed characterization of the K2-111 planetary system with K2, WASP, and ASAS-SN photometry, as well as high-resolution...