Ricerca e caratterizzazione di pianeti extrasolari
Popolazioni stellari in ammassi di stelle
Per ulteriori informazioni si consulti: http://groups.dfa.unipd.it/ESPG/index.html

Search for and characterization of exoplanets.
Stellar populations in star clusters.
For further information: http://groups.dfa.unipd.it/ESPG/index.html

SEARCH FOR EXTRASOLAR PLANETS WITH THE TTV/TDV METHOD

The search and characterization of extrasolar planets is a new, fascinating research field in Astronomy.
Padova is the largest center in Italy for extrasolar planet Astronomy. We have ongoing an observational program (TASTE: http://groups.dfa.unipd.it/ESPG/taste.html) for the detection of planets using the TTV and TDV method Holman (2005 Science, 307, 1288). A huge number of nights at Asiago, Teide and La Palma, as well as CTIO and La Silla telescopes have been assigned for forthcoming months. This data set, and additional, similar observations can become the basis a Master or PhD thesis project.

In addition, we are developing a new satellite for the European Space Agency (CHEOPS: CHaracterizing EXOplanet Satellite). CHEOPS (http://cheops.unibe.ch/) is scheduled for launch in 2017. CHEOPS observations will need TTV/TDV analysis. CHEOPS will search for planet transits in known exoplanetary systems (also see http://www.oact.inaf.it/cheops-it/Home.html). A CHEOPS preparatory science Master and/or PhD thesis is offered.

A thesis on TTV/TDV use in CHEOPS is offered.

SELECTION OF TARGETS FOR PLATO
PLATO (PLAnetary Transit and Stellar Oscillation satellite) is a medium mission selected by the European Space Agency for a launch in 2024. PLATO (http://www.oact.inaf.it/plato/PPLC/Home.html) will search for exoplanets using the transit method. The exoplanet group of the University of Padova has the responsibility of the selection of the 1,000,000 targets for exoplanet search with PLATO. We are also involved in the PLATO preparatory science activities. A Master and/or PhD theses are offered for different preparatory works related to PLATO mission.



MULTIPLE STELLAR POPULATIONS IN STAR CLUSTERS

The recent discovery (by our group) of multiple evolutionary sequences in galactic globular clusters has seriously challenged the paradigm of star clusters hosting a simple stellar population, formed at the same epoch, from the same material. These new findings may have vast implications on star formation processes, and on population synthesis models used to interpret the light from galaxies at cosmological distances. This is a lively debated argument in the present astronomical literature.
G. Piotto has recently granted with a huge amount of Hubble Space Telescope orbits for a Treasury Large HST Program for the study of stellar populations in Galactic globular clusters. Master/PhD theses are offered in order to exploit this huge data base. The student will be inserted in an international collaboration (which the group in Padova is the leader of) and work on the analysis of data from: 1) already approved Hubble Space Telescope programs 2) HST archive data, and 3) approved ESO/VLT programs both with wide field imagers and high resolution spectrographs. The student will gain an expertise on high precision photometry and astrometry on HST data and/or on the exploitation of high resolution spectroscopic data. The possibility of formation stages at ESO, Space Telescope Science Institute, and other European, USA, and australian Universities is offered.


ALL THESIS PROJECTS WILL BE REALIZED WITHIN A LIVELY AND FRIENDLY GROUP OF RESEARCH. ALL OF THEM ARE WITHIN INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS.
For additional information on us and our activities please look at http://groups.dfa.unipd.it/ESPG/index.html.