Finding Other Worlds: Why and How We Look For Exoplanets
- Prof. Jae-Young KIM (jaeyoungkim@unist.ac.kr)
- 2026.05.04
- 16:00
- N101, Building 110
[This seminar will be given in Korean.]
The discovery of exoplanets has revolutionized our understanding of planetary systems. Since the first detection of a planet orbiting a Sun-like star in 1995, the field has grown rapidly, with over 6,000 exoplanets now identified. These discoveries reveal a wide diversity of worlds, including many unlike those in our solar system, such as the abundant population of sub-Neptunes. This raises fundamental questions about how planets form, evolve, and whether habitable environments exist beyond Earth.
Recent observations with the James Webb Space Telescope have enabled unprecedented atmospheric characterization. For example, the detection of sulfur dioxide in WASP-39 b provides evidence for active photochemistry, while the presence of both methane and carbon dioxide in K2-18 b suggests complex atmospheric processes in a temperate sub-Neptune. In contrast, flat spectra observed in planets such as GJ 1214 b highlight the role of clouds and hazes in obscuring molecular features.
In this seminar, I will introduce the field of exoplanet science, highlight key discoveries, and discuss future directions.