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Title: Results from the JWST COMPASS (Compositions of Mini-Planet Atmospheres for Statistical Study) Program
Speaker: Dr. Annabella Meech / Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian (USA)
Date & Time: 2025-12-17, 2:00 PM
Location: Science Hall 638
Talk to be delivered in English
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Abstract: Small planets appear to fall into two distinct populations, with the radius valley separating ‘super-Earths’ from ‘sub-Neptunes’. COMPASS—one of the largest JWST programs dedicated to the study of exoplanets—is investigating the atmospheres of a sample of 12 small planets, with the aim of shedding light on their formation pathways. Using JWST NIRSpec/G395H, we have obtained transmission spectra that enable meaningful atmospheric constraints across the sample. In this talk, I will present the survey and its objectives, and highlight emerging results from the program.
