Postdoctoral Fellowship: AAPF: Investigating the Origins of Hot Jupiters Orbiting A-type Stars

Giacalone, Steven A, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

Steven Giacalone is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Fellowship to carry out a program of research and education at the California Institute of Technology. Giacalone will conduct observations of transiting hot Jupiters (HJs) orbiting A-type stars to better understand their properties and demographics. Results from this project will provide novel insight into how these giant planets arrive at their close-in orbits. For the education component of this project, Giacalone will develop and lead an annual coding workshop for students studying physics and astronomy at nearby community colleges. Using planets detected by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, this research will determine if (1) HJs are more common around A-type stars than they are around cooler stars, (2) the angles between the spin axes of A-type stars and the orbital axes of their HJs are consistent with theorized migration mechanisms, and (3) the atmospheric compositions of HJs orbiting A-type stars are indicative of formation in the outer regions of protoplanetary disks. With these studies, the investigator will improve our knowledge of the formation and dynamical histories of HJs, the precise origins of which are still poorly understood. This work will also complement concurrent and future studies of long-period giant planets possible through direct imaging and astrometric surveys. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.