Over the past 20 years, more than 2000 planets beyond our
Solar system have been found. Despite the large number of planets
found, we have still little knowledge about their atmospheres. In my
talk, I will introduce the most robust method to date to measure
molecular features and their properties in the exoplanet atmospheres:
high-resolution spectroscopy at near-infrared wavelengths. In my
research, I focus on the exotic atmospheres of hot Jupiters, i.e.
giant planets which are a few stellar radii away from their host
stars. The composition and structure of the atmospheres surrounding
these planets provide also a fossil record of their primordial
origins, which potentially hold the key to understanding the formation
and evolution of the universal populations of exoplanets. Their
chemical composition can be directly linked to where and how the
planet formed in its protoplanetary disk.
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