JANUARY 5 - 9, 2009

10:30 am: Ph.D. Colloquium. "Portraits of Distant Worlds: Characterizing the Atmospheres of Extrasolar Planets," Heather Knutson. Phillips Auditorium.

Abstract: Transiting planets are an incredibly rich source of information. It is only for these systems that we can move beyond a simple estimate of minimum mass to learn something about their structure, composition, and atmospheric dynamics. This is particularly crucial for hot Jupiters, whose short orbital periods and tidally locked states make them fundamentally different than any of the planets found in the solar system. In my talk I will review three techniques that have been successfully used to characterize these unusual planets, and highlight some of the resulting advances in our understanding of planetary atmospheres. I will also discuss recent observations of GJ 436b, a transiting Neptune-mass planet, as an example of how we might apply these techniques to study smaller rock or ice planets.

SAO HUMAN RESOURCES NOTES

Federal Leave Donations Needed

Tom Mullen, a federal employee of the Radio and Geoastronomy Division, has been approved as a leave recipient under the Leave Transfer Program. Any federal employee wishing to donate their annual leave to Tom may do so by completing a leave donor form. Please send your completed form to Linda McDonald at MS 17. Details of the Leave Transfer program can be found here.

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