Caltech Astronomy Public Lecture Series - Finding Earth 2.0 - Dimitri Mawet - 10/28/2022

After 30 years of relentless planet hunting, our Solar System is now just one example amongst a mind-boggling variety of planetary systems. Only a small fraction of these 5000 exoplanets have had their picture taken, yet taking direct pictures of exoplanets and analyzing their light is the only way astronomers will one day find an exoplanet the size of the Earth orbiting a quiet star like the Sun. Join us for a 30-minute lecture on the search for Earth-like planets, followed by a panel Q&A consisting of several astrophysicists to answer your questions about space science. Timestamps below: 00:00 Announcements 03:42 Intro to Exoplanet Presentation 04:57 Exoplanet Presentation 38:50 Q&A for Exoplanet Presentation 39:01 "Are there any exomoons?" 39:59 "How does exoplanet dimming work?" 41:04 "How long does an exoplanet transit last?" 41:30 "Do exoplanets have weather like Earth?" 42:10 "How are deformable mirrors tested?" 44:16 "Does imaging of exoplanets use coronagraphs?" 48:15 Intermission 51:31 Q&A Panel Introductions 56:36 "Can stellar oscillations tells us when a star will explode?" 58:37 "Any upcoming missions that will identify lots of exoplanets?" 1:01:27 "How many exoplanets might we have identified in 20 years?" 1:04:48 "Are any exoplanets double counted?" 1:05:52 "What can we learn from JWST's view of Pillars of Creation?" 1:09:37 "Can hot, massive stars have habitable planets orbiting them?" 1:12:27 "Can red giant stars (e.g., Betelgeuse) host exoplanets?" 1:15:37 "What is in the center of a star-planet system?" 1:17:10 "Can SuperEarths have liquid water on their surfaces?" 1:19:43 "What got you interested in exoplanets?" 1:21:18 "What is Planet Nine?" 1:24:00 "Why are planets round not flat?" 1:26:53 "Did gravity arise before mass?" 1:30:46 "Why is our supermassive black hole so faint?" 1:35:32 "Does the Earth get close to the Sun?" 1:40:22 "Can we detect a 'White Hole'?" 1:46:00 "Has anyone been in a black hole?" 1:50:00 "Is machine learning used to identify exoplanets?" 1:51:40 "What science are *you* doing with JWST?" 1:58:29 "How is a black hole made?" 2:00:41 Concluding Remarks Presenter: Dimitri Mawet is a professor of astronomy at Caltech, whose research interests lie in the direct imaging and characterization of extra-solar planetary systems. He develops, commissions, and uses innovative technologies to perform remote sensing of other worlds with the largest ground and space-based telescopes in the world. He uses high contrast imaging and spectroscopy, an emerging but exciting technique in the study of extra-solar planetary systems, which aims at finding new exoplanets, filling out parts of the parameter space inaccessible to indirect techniques, and, more importantly, characterizing them. Isolating the signal of planets from the glare of their host star enables us to measure and constrain their orbital motions, analyze their atmospheres, and understand planet-disk interactions. Professor Mawet completed his PhD from University of Liège in 2006, and he worked for the European Southern Observatory and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory prior to joining Caltech. https://pma.caltech.edu/people/dimitri-mawet Title: Finding Earth 2.0 Abstract: The Solar system is the only planetary system we had ever contemplated until the 1990s. After 30 years of relentless planet hunting, it is now just one example amongst a mind-boggling variety of systems that even the wildest science-fiction authors could ever have imagined: hellish hot Jupiters, Tatooine-like worlds, water-worlds, super-Earths, mini-Neptunes, and more! The vast majority of the 5000+ exoplanets found so far have been discovered indirectly by techniques looking at tiny variations in their host star’s motion and/or brightness. Only a small fraction of these 5000 exoplanets have had their picture taken, let alone analyzed for their surface conditions. Yet, taking direct pictures of exoplanets and analyzing their light with our most powerful telescopes is the only way astronomers will one day find an exoplanet the size of the Earth orbiting a quiet star like the Sun. When this day comes, the quest for finding Earth 2.0 may finally be over, potentially opening the next great chapter in our exploration of the cosmos.