Este trabalho consistiu de uma experiência didática que teve como objetivo central desenvolver um material sobre Astronomia, com ênfase em Exoplanetas, motivador e inovador para o ensino de Física. A fim de torná-lo versátil para ser aplicado nas escolas de ensino médio, de fácil manuseio e estudo por parte dos professores que desejarem utilizá-lo com os seus alunos, o material foi organizado na forma de um hipertexto, armazenado em DVD e está disponibilizado na rede. O hipertexto reúne apresentações em PowerPoint, textos de apoio, simulações computacionais, vídeos, sugestões de simulações e vídeos e atividades teórico-práticas, organizados de uma forma que facilita a sua aplicação e o aprendizado do professor que desconhece o assunto, mas que, por outro lado, sente-se motivado em estudá-lo e aplicá-lo junto aos seus alunos. O material foi utilizado numa experiência realizada com alunos do segundo ano do ensino médio no Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Sul – IFRS, Campus Bento Gonçalves, do mês de agosto até meados de dezembro de 2011 e teve como referencial teórico a teoria da aprendizagem significativa de Ausubel, o qual considera o conhecimento prévio do aluno como a variável mais importante na aprendizagem, e a teoria da mediação de Vygotsky, fundamentada na interação social. As avaliações consistiram: (a) de um pré-teste e de um pós-teste, respectivamente, para investigar o conhecimento prévio dos alunos sobre o assunto que foi abordado e para averiguar o quanto a aprendizagem resultou significativa; (b) de duas avaliações, uma no meio e outra ao final da experiência; (c) dos questionários correspondentes às atividades teórico-práticas e, (d) de uma pesquisa de opinião realizada no final do trabalho. Os resultados obtidos foram animadores como pode ser observado: (a) da análise estatística, feita através do “teste t” para dados pareados, entre as respostas do pré-teste e do pós-teste, que indicou significância no aprendizado dos alunos; (b) do desempenho nas duas avaliações realizadas e, (c) das respostas dos alunos à pesquisa de opinião realizada ao final da experiência, que declararam, em sua maioria, terem gostado de estudar Astronomia como tema de contextualização para o estudo da Física. Espera-se que o material desenvolvido e organizado na forma de um hipertexto e os resultados dessa experiência didática motivem os professores a utilizarem tópicos de Astronomia como contexto para o ensino da Física no ensino médio. / This work consisted of a learning experience that aims, as a main goal, to develop a material on Astronomy, with emphasis on Exoplanets, as a motivator and innovator in the teaching of Physics. In order to become versatile to be used in high schools and easy to handle and study by teachers who wish to use it with their students, the material was organized as a hypertext, stored on DVD and is available on network. The hypertext gathers PowerPoint presentations, handouts, computer simulations, videos, tips about video simulations and theoretical-practical activities, organized in a way that facilitates its application and learning of the teacher who doesn’t know the subject, but, on the other hand, feels himself motivated to study it and apply it along to their students. The material was used in an experiment conducted with students in their second year of high school at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Sul – IFRS, Campus Bento Gonçalves, from August to mid-December 2011 and had as theoretical reference Ausubel’s theory of meaningful learning, which considers the student’s prior knowledge as the most important variable in learning, and Vygotsky’s theory of mediation, grounded in social interaction. The avaluations consisted of: (a) a pre-test and a post-test, respectively, to investigate the student’s prior knowledge on the subject that was addressed and to determine how much the learning came to be significant; (b) two assessments, one in the middle and another at the end of the experiment; (c) questionnaires corresponding to theoretical and practical activities, and (d) an opinion survey conducted at the end of the work. The results were encouraging as can be observed: (a) the statistical analysis performed using the “t test” for paired data, the responses between the pre-test and post-test, which indicated significance on student learning; (b) performance on both assessments (two) and (c) the students’ answers to the survey conducted at the end of the experiment, which stated, in most cases, they liked to study Astronomy as a subject of contextualization for the study of physics. It is hoped that the material developed and organized as a hypertext, and the results of this learning experience, motivate teachers to use Astronomy topics as context for teaching physics in high school.

For decades, astronomers have used observations of mature planetary systems to constrain planet formation theories, beginning with our own solar system and now the thousands of known exoplanets. Recent advances in instrumentation have given us a direct view of some steps in the planet formation process, such as large-scale protostar and protoplanetary disk features and evolution. However, understanding the details of how planets accrete and interact with their environment requires direct observations of protoplanets themselves. Transition disks, protoplanetary disks with inner clearings that may be caused by forming planets, are the best targets for these studies. Their large distances, compared to the stars normally targeted for direct imaging of exoplanets, make protoplanet detection difficult and necessitate novel imaging techniques. In this dissertation, I describe the results of using non-redundant masking (NRM) to search for forming planets in transition disk clearings. I first present a data reduction pipeline that I wrote to this end, using example datasets and simulations to demonstrate reduction and imaging optimizations. I discuss two transition disk NRM case studies: T Cha and LkCa 15. In the case of T Cha, while we detect significant asymmetries, the data cannot be explained by orbiting companions. The fluxes and orbital motion of the LkCa 15 companion signals, however, can be naturally explained by protoplanets in the disk clearing. I use these datasets and simulated observations to illustrate the effects of scattered light from transition disk material on NRM protoplanet searches. I then demonstrate the utility of the dual-aperture Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer's NRM mode on the bright B[e] star MWC 349A. I discuss the implications of this work for planet formation studies as well as future prospects for NRM and related techniques on next generation instruments.

Radial velocity measurements are critical in finding and confirming exoplanets. To confine the parameters of the planet we naturally want to minimise the errors on the measurement. However the observed measurement error is now on the same order as the precision of the instrument. This so called jitter is related to the stellar activity (Wright 2005), i.e. the magnetic field of the star. In this paper we investigate if we can discover any correlation between the radial velocity variation and the magnetic activity of the star using HARPSpol spectra for the two stars Epsilon Eridani and GJ674.

SCExAO is the premier high-contrast imaging platform for the Subaru Telescope. It offers high Strehl ratios at near-IR wavelengths (y-K band) with stable pointing and coronagraphs with extremely small inner working angles, optimized for imaging faint companions very close to the host. In the visible, it has several interferometric imagers which offer polarimetric and spectroscopic capabilities. A recent addition is the RHEA spectrograph enabling spatially resolved high resolution spectroscopy of the surfaces of giant stars, for example. New capabilities on the horizon include post-coronagraphic spectroscopy, spectral differential imaging, nulling interferometry as well as an integral field spectrograph and an MKID array. Here we present the new modules of SCExAO, give an overview of the current commissioning status of each of the modules and present preliminary results.

In the present work, the abnormal glow discharge at atmospheric pressure was generated in the nitrogen-methane (1 to 5 %) gaseous mixtures related to the atmosphere of Titan. The discharge itself was monitored by optical emission spectrometry that confirmed presence of active nitrogen species and various radicals formed from methane. Besides them, the CN spectral bands were observed. Intensities of all light emitting species were studied in the dependence on applied power and composition of nitrogen-methane mixture. The rotational temperature of about 2000 K was calculated from the second positive nitrogen system. The vibrational temperature also obtained from neutral nitrogen molecule increased nearly directly with methane from 3000 K (1 % CH4) to 3600 K (5 % CH4). In the contrary, vibrational temperature obtained from nitrogen molecular ion decreased with methane in the gaseous mixture and increased with applied discharge power from 3700 K to 4200 K. The same trend showed the vibrational temperature calculated from violet system of CN with value from 4600 K to 5800 K. The stable discharge products were analysed by proton transfer time of flight mass spectrometry of the exhausting gas. Presence of many aliphatic and some aromatic hydrocarbons was confirmed as well as quite a lot of amino and cyano compounds. Increasing concentrations of methane have produced more substances with higher molecular weight and less simple substances that were likely to be consumed on more complex substances. Their relative intensities were determined under the same conditions as optical emission spectra were collected.

Title: Orbital and internal dynamics of terrestrial planets Author: Michaela Walterová Department: Department of Geophysics Supervisor: RNDr. Marie Běhounková, Ph.D., Department of Geophysics Abstract: Close-in exoplanets are subjected to intense tidal interaction with the host star and their secular evolution is strongly affected by the resulting tidal dissipation. The tidal dissipation not only provides an additional heat source for the planet's internal dynamics but it also contributes to the evolution of the planet's spin rate and orbital elements. At the same time, the tidal dissipation itself is also determined by the planet's thermal state and by the spin-orbital parameters. The evolutions of the orbit and of the interior are, therefore, intrinsically linked. In this work, we combine analytical and numerical techniques to gain insight into the interconnection between the internal properties and the orbital evolution, with special focus on the role of tides. After a general study of parametric dependencies of the tidal heating and tidal locking, we present a semi-analytical model assessing the coupled tidally-induced thermal-orbital evolution in systems consisting of a host star and one or two planets. Specifically, we study the thermal-orbital evolution in three systems inspired by existing low-mass...

The search for extrasolar planets had been ongoing for many years when Mayorand Queloz discovered 51 Pegasi b in 1995. It was a giant gas planet similar to Jupiter, but with a larger radius and of only half of Jupiter’s mass. Theso called Hot Jupiter was observed to orbit its host star 7 times closer thanMercury is orbiting the Sun. Theoretical models at the time stated that gasgiants could not form in such a short distance to the host star. Thus, thisdiscovery was completely unexpected. It was the beginning of a new field ofresearch where the diversity of exoplanets is the most remarkable discovery, challenging theoretical models. Thanks to the Kepler space telescope and anew generation of space missions such as TESS, thousands of exoplanets havebeen discovered and thousands of planet candidates await confirmation. In this thesis I have studied all confirmed exoplanets to this date, which havebeen discovered by the radial velocity and/or the transit method. The planetparameters and their stellar hosts are available on NASA’s Exoplanet Archive.For all planets < 100 M⊕, I have assessed and updated the parameters for eachplanet in particular when several solutions exist. There are several types ofplanets, but the focus of this work are small planets which come in two sizes: Rocky super-Earths, and the slightly larger and lower density sub-Neptune. Different types of planets have different radii and mass ranges, which togetherwith composition and interior structure are separating the types from each other. These mass and radii ranges are however not universally defined, and in thisreport the super-Earth and sub-Neptune ranges are discussed together with their typical characteristics. The radii and mass ranges of the two different classes of small planets are overlapping and are often difficult to classify. In particularfor planets in between 2 R⊕ and 3 R⊕, there is an ambiguity of structure and composition. This report will also investigate how planet properties depend on the stellarhost properties and on the orbital distances to the stars. One of my mainresults is that sub-Neptunes are common orbiting host stars with low metallicity, in contrast to super-Earths which are common orbiting host stars with highmetallicity. Other parameters, such as stellar effective temperature, seem to have no influence on planet properties. Super-Earth’s are found at a wide range of orbital distances while the sub-Neptunes cluster in a narrow range of orbital distances to their host star. Sub-Neptunes have an atmosphere, and are orbiting at distances where the atmosphere does not evaporate from intense host star radiation. If an atmospheree vaporates, only the rocky core of the planet is left. Thus, some super-Earths might have been sub-Neptunes that have lost their atmospheres. My second main result is that planets with characteristics of sub-Neptunes (with respect to density and interior structure) of 10 M⊕ to 15 M⊕ have radiibetween 2 R⊕ and 4.5 R⊕. Sub-Neptunes in the upper mass limit, between 15M⊕ to 17 M⊕, have radii from 2.6 R⊕ to 7.5 R⊕. And finally, my third result is the relation between planet density and equilibrium temperature. The density of all planets with masses < 15 M⊕ is Earth-like for equilibrium temperatures > 1400 K. For lower equilibrium temperatures corresponding to longer orbital periods, or lower-mass and cooler stars, planetswith masses < 15 M⊕ have a larger spread in densities. However, it never fallsbelow a diagonal linear trend in the density against equilibrium temperature diagram described by ρ = 2.6 × log10(Teq) − 7.46.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(理学) / 甲第24416号 / 理博第4915号 / 新制||理||1702(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院理学研究科物理学・宇宙物理学専攻 / (主査)准教授 栗田 光樹夫, 准教授 岩室 史英, 教授 太田 耕司 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

This dissertation as a whole aims to provide the means to better understand hot-Jupiter planets through observing, performing thermochemical calculations, and modeling their atmospheres. We used Spitzer multi-wavelength secondary-eclipse observations to characterize planetary atmospheres. We chose targets with high signal-to-noise ratios, as their deep eclipses allow us to detect signatures of spectral features and assess planetary atmospheric structure and composition with greater certainty. Chapter 1 gives a short introduction. Chapter 2 presents the Spitzer secondary-eclipse analysis and atmospheric characterization of WASP-14b. The decrease in flux when a planet passes behind its host star reveals the planet dayside thermal emission, which, in turn, tells us about the atmospheric temperature and pressure profiles and molecular abundances. WASP-14b is a highly irradiated, transiting hot Jupiter. By applying a Bayesian approach in the atmospheric analysis, we found an absence of thermal inversion contrary to theoretical predictions. Chapter 3 describes the infrared observations of WASP-43b's Spitzer secondary eclipses, data analysis, and atmospheric characterization. WASP-43b is one of the closest-orbiting hot Jupiters, orbiting one of the coolest stars with a hot Jupiter. This configuration provided one of the strongest signal-to-noise ratios. The atmospheric analysis ruled out a strong thermal inversion in the dayside atmosphere of WASP-43b and put a nominal upper limit on the day-night energy redistribution. Chapter 4 presents an open-source Thermochemical Equilibrium Abundances (TEA) code and its application to several hot-Jupiter temperature and pressure models. TEA calculates the abundances of gaseous molecular species using the Gibbs free-energy minimization method within an iterative Lagrangian optimization scheme. The thermochemical equilibrium abundances obtained with TEA can be used to initialize atmospheric models of any planetary atmosphere. The code is written in Python, in a modular fashion, and it is available to the community via http://github.com/dzesmin/TEA. Chapter 5 presents my contributions to an open-source Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer (BART) code, and its application to WASP-43b. BART characterizes planetary atmospheres based on the observed spectroscopic information. It initializes a planetary atmospheric model, performs radiative-transfer calculations to produce models of planetary spectra, and using a statistical module compares models with observations. We describe the implementation of the initialization routines, the atmospheric profile generator, the eclipse module, the best-fit routines, and the contribution function module. We also present a comprehensive atmospheric analysis of all WASP-43b secondary-eclipse data obtained from the space- and ground-based observations using BART.

HAT-P-30-WASP-51b is a hot-Jupiter exoplanet that orbits an F star every 2.8106 days at a distance of 0.0419 AU. Using the Spitzer Space Telescope in 2012 (Spitzer Program Number 70084) we observed two secondary eclipses at 3.6 and 4.5 μm. We present eclipse-depth measurements of 0.177 ± 0.018 % and 0.247 ± 0.024 % and estimate the infrared brightness temperatures to be 1990 ± 110 K and 2080 ± 130 K for these two channels, respectively, from an analysis using our Photometry for Orbits, Eclipses, and Transits (POET) pipeline. These may be grazing eclipses. We also refine its orbit using our own secondary-eclipse measurements in combination with radial- velocity and transit observations from both professional and amateur observers. Using only the phase of our secondary eclipses, we can constrain e cos(ω) where e is the orbital eccentricity and ω is the argument of periastron to 0.0058 ± 0.00094. This is the component of eccentricity in the plane of view,. This small but non-zero eccentricity is independent of the effects that stellar tides have on radial-velocity data. When including radial velocity data in our model, our Markov chain finds an e cos(ω) of 0.0043 ± 0.0007. We constrain the atmospheric temperature profile using our Bayesian Atmospheric Radiative Transfer code (BART), a large lower bound (700 km) for the scale height, and the potential for high quality transit spectroscopy observations.