ABSTRACT

"Exploring New Worlds with BARBIE and KEN"

Detecting biosignatures in exoplanet atmospheres is the first step on the path to determining planet habitability, and efficiency is key to maximizing the science output from limited observation time, especially in next-generation instrument design such as the upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Knowing this, the optimal wavelength for the spectral bandpass used for observations is a crucial factor to consider. Coronagraphic design currently limits the observing strategy used to detect biosignatures such as H2O, O2, O3, CH4, requiring the choice of specific bandpasses to optimize abundance constraints. We use a pre-constructed grid of geometric albedo spectra across a range of abundance and pressure, hereby the KEN gridset, and interpolate to produce forward models for an efficient nested sampling routine, PSGnest, thus enabling wide ranges of parametric retrievals. We have also developed a new grid-building scheme, Gridder, that allows us to unlock simulations of multiple new molecules and parameters over a much wider wavelength space. By understanding the SNR requirements for detecting molecules of interest and varying planetary archetypes, and properly prioritizing the spectral bandpasses to optimize detectability of different atmospheric constituents, we can provide quantitative relationships between science output and instrument designs and observing procedure as we look to starting the decision-making process for the HWO.

About the Speaker:

Natasha Latouf is a PhD Candidate at George Mason University and will be defending April 4th. She is an NSF Graduate Research Fellow and NASA FINESST Future Investigator and will become a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow upon her graduation. Her scientific areas of interest encompass exoplanet atmospheres, biosignature detection, and the development of the Habitable Worlds Observatory, as well as the study of effective and ethical mentorship. She is the Habitable Worlds Observatory Internships Project Officer and the co-Founder of the grassroots organization Spectrum (https://gmuspectrum.squarespace.com/). Today, she will be focusing on her exoplanet atmosphere research, presenting her findings from the BARBIE project.