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
    Green, solventless debromination of C 70 Br 10 to C 70 with CsI
    A smooth, solventless and solid state debromination of C70Br10 can be achieved in a CsI matrix with the restoration of the pristine C70 in quantitative yields...
  • Publication
    Greening of the brown-dwarf desert. EPIC 212036875b: a 51 MJ object in a 5-day orbit around an F7 V star
    Context. Although more than 2000 brown dwarfs have been detected to date, mainly from direct imaging, their characterisation is difficult due to their faintness...
  • Publication
    Ground-based detection of an extended helium atmosphere in the Saturn-mass exoplanet WASP-69b
    Hot gas giant exoplanets can lose part of their atmosphere due to strong stellar irradiation, and these losses can affect their physical and chemical evolution...
  • Publication
    Ground-based photometric follow-up for exoplanet detections with the PLATO mission
    Detections of transiting planets from the upcoming PLATO mission are expected to face significant contamination from contaminating eclipsing binaries, resulting...
  • Publication
    Ground-based search for lightning in Jupiter with GTC/OSIRIS fast photometry and tunable filters
    Context. Lightning flashes in Jupiter have been observed by spacecraft orbiting the planet, but so far, they have escaped optical detection from Earth. However...
  • Publication
    Ground-based tests of JEM-EUSO components at the Telescope Array site, "EUSO-TA"
    We are conducting tests of optical and electronics components of JEMEUSO at the Telescope Array site in Utah with a ground-based "EUSO-TA" detector. The tests...
  • Publication
    Ground-based transit observations of the super-Earth GJ 1214 b
    Context. GJ 1214 b is one of the few known transiting super-Earth-sized exoplanets with a measured mass and radius. It orbits an M-dwarf, only 14.55 pc away...
  • Publication
    GTC adaptive optics first performance tests in laboratory
    The GTC AO system designed and developed during the last years is based on a single deformable mirror with 21 x 21 actuators, conjugated to the telescope pupil...
  • Publication
    GTC OSIRIS z-band imaging of Y dwarfs
    Aims: The aim of the project is to contribute to the characterisation of the spectral energy distribution of the coolest brown dwarfs discovered to date, the Y...