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
    High-resolution Optical Spectroscopy of DY Cen: Diffuse Interstellar Bands in a Proto-fullerene Circumstellar Environment?
    We search high-resolution and high-quality VLT/UVES optical spectra of the hot R Coronae Borealis star DY Cen for electronic transitions of the C60 molecule and...
  • Publication
    High-resolution spectroscopy of Boyajian's star during optical dimming events
    Boyajian's star is an apparently normal main-sequence F-type star with a very unusual light curve. The dipping activity of the star, discovered during the...
  • Publication
    High-resolution spectroscopy of the high-velocity hot post-AGB star LS III +52°24 (IRAS 22023+5249)
    The first high-resolution (R˜ 50 000) optical spectrum of the B-type star, LS III +52°24, identified as the optical counterpart of the hot post-asymptotic giant...
  • Publication
    High-resolution transmission spectroscopy study of ultra-hot Jupiters HAT-P-57b, KELT-17b, KELT-21b, KELT-7b, MASCARA-1b, and WASP-189b
    Ultra-hot jupiters (UHJs) are giant planets on short orbital periods with high equilibrium temperature (T eq) values. Their hot, extended atmospheres are...
  • Publication
    High-resolution transmission spectrum of the Earth's atmosphere-seeing Earth as an exoplanet using a lunar eclipse
    With the rapid developments in the exoplanet field, more and more terrestrial exoplanets are being detected. Characterizing their atmospheres using transit...
  • Publication
    Highly porous nature of a primitive asteroid revealed by thermal imaging
    Carbonaceous (C-type) asteroids 1 are relics of the early Solar System that have preserved primitive materials since their formation approximately 4.6 billion...
  • Publication
    Hint of an exocomet transit in the CHEOPS light curve of HD 172555
    HD 172555 is a young (~20 Myr) A7V star surrounded by a 10 au wide debris disk suspected to be replenished partly by collisions between large planetesimals...
  • Publication
    HiPERCAM: a quintuple-beam, high-speed optical imager on the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias
    HiPERCAM is a portable, quintuple-beam optical imager that saw first light on the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC) in 2018. The instrument uses re-imaging...
  • Publication
    Homogeneous analysis of globular clusters from the APOGEE survey with the BACCHUS code - II. The Southern clusters and overview
    We investigate the Fe, C, N, O, Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca, Ce, and Nd abundances of 2283 red giant stars in 31 globular clusters from high-resolution spectra observed...