Abstract:  We are living in the golden age of time series photometry, when large amounts of high-quality data is delivered by space-based surveys in visible light. This enables a detailed study of the minute variability following the orbital motion of stellar binaries and star-planet systems. These orbital modulations are induced by gravitational and atmospheric processes, hence the phase curve shape contains information about the companion’s mass and atmospheric characteristics. I will present the science done with phase curves (reviewed in Shporer 2017). This includes the investigation of hot Jupiter exoplanet atmospheres where in one study we showed that the atmospheres of many or even most exoplanets have their optical brightest region shifted Westward of the substellar point, indicating an inhomogeneous cloud coverage. In a few other studies we have noticed that the photometric amplitude of the ellipsoidal phase modulation, following tidal distortion of the host star, deviates from simple theoretical expectations. We believe this is due to the different way in which convective and non-convective stars respond to tidal forces. This highlights the potential of phase curves in the study of tidal interaction. I will conclude with describing our ongoing systematic study of phase curves of star-planet systems using data from the NASA TESS Mission. TESS's full sky coverage enables an ensemble study of gas giant planet atmospheres using a large sample. As a whole, the above demonstrates the high scientific potential of the study of space-based phase curves, which we have only begun to explore in recent years.

Host:  Dan Stevens

Please click the link to join the webinar: https://psu.zoom.us/j/96060188956