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H2020Doctoral network2020–2024

CHAMELEON · Virtual Laboratories for Exoplanets and Planet Forming Disks

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2020-06-01 → 2024-05-31
EU contribution
€4,117,954
Participants
7
Scheme
MSCA-ITN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Virtual Laboratories for Exoplanets and Planet Forming Disks

The aim of the CHAMELEON project is to develop Virtual Laboratories in order to simulate yet unexplored physico-chemical environments in planet-forming disks and exoplanet atmospheres. Retrieving (from data), predicting (from detailed models), and thereby understanding the link between the chemical composition of planet-forming disks and exoplanet atmospheres is a challenging task. The overall objectives of the CHAMELEON MC ITN EJD are: A) Scientific objective: Retrieve and predict the chemical composition of planet-forming disks and exoplanet atmospheres using Virtual Laboratories. B) Technological objective: Knowledge transfer between planet and disk community by the exchange of state-of-the-art codes. Apply and develop models of different complexity as link between big observational and numerical modelling data. Explore models as Virtual Laboratories for exploring parameter spaces that cannot (yet) be reached by observations nor by (laboratory) experiments. C) Educational objective: Train complex modelling and big-data interpretation. Use fascination for exoplanets and their birthplaces to promote science in the society, in local and wider communities. Addressing all three objective enables our common understanding for fundamental processes that lead to the formation of planets that orbit different stars, and for the diversity of exoplanets that have been observed. The involved technology development in form of Virtual Laboratories progresses the necessary in-depth knowledge in chemistry and physics as well as that of numerical approaches. Solving complex coupled systems as well as applying machine learning techniques are part of this process. Our Virtual Laboratories enable the interpretation of high-profile space telescope data like from Hubble, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as well as PLATO and Ariel in the future, and hence, enable local science return from internationally funded space missions. These results are the base for science promotion within our local and global communities, and for future technology developments in the space sector.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

The first detection of an exoplanet marked a new epoch in our hopes to detect extraterrestrial life. These detections have opened new parameter spaces and demonstrate that physical and chemical conditions exists in (A) planet forming disks that are vastly different from what we know in the solar system and in (B) (exo)planets that are vastly different from those that characterized planet Earth when life originated in an anoxic soup, and yet could allow for life-bearing chemistry to occur. In this MC-ITN, we focus on the development of Virtual Laboratories which will be the crucial tool to analyze in detail current and future disk and exoplanet observations, and for filling the gaps of incomplete observational data. Our Virtual Laboratories will use advanced numerical and statistical methods that comprise input from astrophysics, computational chemistry, laboratory and theoretical physics, geosciences, mathematics, and computer sciences. Virtual laboratories play a key role in simulating yet unexplored physico-chemical environments. Our 3 major objectives are: -- Scientific: Retrieve and predict the chemical composition of planet-forming disks and exoplanet atmospheres. -- Technological: Knowledge transfer between planet and disk community by the exchange of state-of-the-art codes. Apply and develop models of different complexity as link between big observational and numerical modelling data. Explore models as Virtual Laboratories for parameter spaces that cannot be reached by observations nor by (laboratory) experiments. -- Educational: Train complex modelling and big-data interpretation. Use fascination for exoplanets and their birthplaces to promote science in the society and in the local and wider communities due to dedicated art & education and art & science projects.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • OESTERREICHISCHE AKADEMIE DER WISSENSCHAFTEN · WienCoordinatorAustria
  • KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN · LeuvenBelgium
  • KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET · KOBENHAVNDenmark
  • RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN · GroningenNetherlands
  • THE UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS · ST ANDREWSUnited Kingdom
  • THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH · EdinburghUnited Kingdom
  • UNIVERSITEIT ANTWERPEN · AntwerpenBelgium

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union