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.
  • News
    Nightside condensation of iron in an ultrahot giant exoplanet
    Ultrahot giant exoplanets receive thousands of times Earth’s insolation. Their high-temperature atmospheres (greater than 2,000 kelvin) are ideal laboratories...
  • Publication
    No random transits in CHEOPS observations of HD 139139
    Context. The star HD 139139 (a.k.a. `the Random Transiter') is a star that exhibited enigmatic transit-like features with no apparent periodicity in K2 data...
  • Publication
    Noble gases and nitrogen in samples of asteroid Ryugu record its volatile sources and recent surface evolution
    The near-Earth carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu is expected to contain volatile chemical species that could provide information on the origin of Earth’s...
  • Publication
    Noble gases and nitrogen in samples of asteroid Ryugu record its volatile sources and recent surface evolution
    The near-Earth carbonaceous asteroid (162173) Ryugu is expected to contain volatile chemical species that could provide information on the origin of Earth’s...
  • Publication
    Nodal precession of WASP-33b for 11 yr by Doppler tomographic and transit photometric observations
    WASP-33b, a hot Jupiter around a hot star, is a rare system in which nodal precession has been discovered. We updated the model for the nodal precession of WASP...
  • Publication
    Non-detection of He I in the Atmosphere of GJ 1214b with Keck/NIRSPEC, at a Time of Minimal Telluric Contamination
    Observations of helium in exoplanet atmospheres may reveal the presence of large gaseous envelopes and indicate ongoing atmospheric escape. Orell-Miquel et al....
  • Publication
    Non-grey dimming events of KIC 8462852 from GTC spectrophotometry
    We report ground-based spectrophotometry of KIC 8462852 obtained during its first dimming events since the end of the Kepler mission. The dimmings show a clear...
  • Publication
    Non-Vestoid candidate asteroids in the inner main belt
    Context. Most howardite-eucrite-diogenite (HED) meteorites (analogues to V-type asteroids) are thought to originate from the asteroid (4) Vesta. However some...
  • Grant
    Nucleosynthesis and molecular processes in evolved stars: from (radio) isotopes to complex molecular nanostructures
    Low- to intermediate-mass (M < 8 solar masses, Ms) stars represent the majority of stars in the Cosmos. They finish their lives on the Asymptotic Giant Branch...