Print Email Facebook Twitter Traces of exomoons in flux and polarization signals of starlight reflected by exoplanets Title Traces of exomoons in flux and polarization signals of starlight reflected by exoplanets Author Berzosa Molina, Javier (Student TU Delft) Stam, D.M. (TU Delft Astrodynamics & Space Missions) Rossi, L.C.G. (TU Delft Astrodynamics & Space Missions) Date 2017 Abstract The detection of moons around extrasolar planets is one of the main focuses of current and future observatories. These silent companions contribute to the planets' observed signals but are barely detectable with current methods. Numerous gaseous exoplanets are known to orbit in the habitable zones of stars, and the expected abundance of natural satellites and their diversity in composition make them ideal targets when looking for habitable celestial bodies. And moons are suspected to play key roles in stabilizing a planet's rotational axis and hence its climate. We show that an exomoon orbiting an Earth-like exoplanet could be identified by measuring the flux and polarization of starlight reflected by the planet-moon system, allowing the characterization of their orbital motions and physical properties. To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:d1f5a385-d9dd-4ecb-a800-c9d2c0bf1b52 Event European Planetary Science Congress 2017, 2017-09-17 → 2017-09-22, Riga, Latvia Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type abstract Rights © 2017 Javier Berzosa Molina, D.M. Stam, L.C.G. Rossi Files PDF EPSC2017_663.pdf 391.96 KB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:d1f5a385-d9dd-4ecb-a800-c9d2c0bf1b52/datastream/OBJ/view