GENESIS (unveilinG accrEtioN in Exoplanets using high-reSolutIon Spectroscopy)

Massive planets like Jupiter are ubiquitous in the discovered exoplanet population and play a pivotal role in determining the evolution of a planetary system, including habitability conditions.

Yet very little is known about their formation, particularly regarding how these giant planets accrete gas from their nursery. The major reason is the lack of observations of these planets while they are in the cradle of formation.

High-resolution spectroscopy can reveal clues regarding significant aspects of this process; what is the accretion geometry? how fast/long does accretion occur? Does it proceed differently based on the planet’s environment?

My project GENESIS aims to tackle these crucial questions in understanding the accretion process at this low-mass regime, and unveil secrets behind the formation of these massive planets.

The project will utilize data from the pioneering spectroscopic monitoring program ENTROPY, set to observe accreting planetary mass objects with VLT/UVES in early 2025, and will plan follow-up observations with other instruments to enrich the results.

The locations of the project – Stockholm University and University of Grenoble Alpes – are carefully chosen to encourage a two-way transfer of knowledge in this field and expand my research focus and collaborative network as an early-career researcher.

GENESIS is designed to yield three scientific publications in the grant period, with a possibility of more depending on the availability of time and data.