[Baps] Fwd: [Csp_seminar] TODAY 2/2 Nikole Lewis (University of Arizona)

[Paul Withers]

Apologies for the late notification.
Paul

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[Csp_seminar] TODAY 2/2 Nikole Lewis (University of Arizona)
Date: 	Thu, 2 Feb 2012 08:56:54 -0500
From: 	Rochette, Amanda E <rochette at bu.edu>
To: 	announce at skynet.bu.edu <announce at skynet.bu.edu>,
Csp_seminar at bu-ast.bu.edu <Csp_seminar at bu-ast.bu.edu>



Speaker: Nikole Lewis

Affiliation: University of Arizona

Title: Atmospheric Circulation of Eccentric Extrasolar Giant Planets

Date: Thursday, Feb 2

Time: 3:30 PM Refreshments in CAS 500, 4:00 PM Talk

Place: 725 Commonwealth Ave. CAS 502

Abstract:

The number of planets detected outside of our solar system has increased
at an almost exponential rate over the past 10 years with more than 700
confirmed exoplanets. Among the exoplanet planet population are almost
200 planets that have been determined to transit their host star as seen
from the Earth. This transiting planet population has allowed us to
learn a great deal about exoplanet atmospheres including composition,
thermal structure, and global circulation patterns. I will discuss
current efforts to understand exoplanet global circulation patterns,
with a focus on those planets with significantly eccentric orbits (e > 0.1).

Planets on eccentric orbits are subject to time-variable heating that
can significantly alter their thermal structure and circulation patterns
as a function of orbital phase. Sophisticated three-dimensional
atmospheric models that incorporate the complex interplay of atmospheric
radiative and dynamical processes are crucial to better understanding
these planets unlike anything in our solar system. I will discuss
current atmospheric modeling efforts for three such planets: HD 80606b
(e~0.9), HAT-P-2b (e~0.5), and GJ 436b (e~0.15). Additionally, I will
overview current observational efforts to characterize global
circulation patterns using the Spitzer Space Telescope, including
full-orbit observations of the HAT-P-2 system.

//

/For a complete list of this semester’s seminar speakers and abstracts,
please visit: http://www.bu.edu/csp/edoutreach/seminar. If you no longer
wish to receive these emails, please reply to unsubscribe. /

*Amanda Rochette*

Proposal Development Administrator

Boston University

Center for Space Physics

725 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 506, Boston, MA 02215

Tel: (617) 353-5992 Fax: (617) 353-6463