Planet Formation, Planet Dynamics, Protoplanetary Disks
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (SSC)
Since the discovery of the first exoplanet just over twenty years ago, the study of exoplanets has grown explosively. By now, astronomers have discovered thousands of exoplanets, with an incredibly diverse array of properties. This growth will undoubtedly continue into the future, as new kinds of planets are being observed with increasingly advanced telescopes. Faculty in CIERA study exoplanets theoretically and build instruments to directly image them.
Research at CIERA
The groups of Professors Rasio and Lithwick carry out theoretical work and simulations to study the long-term dynamics of planetary systems. Both groups study the chaotic dynamics of multi-planet systems as they evolve. Professor Rasio’s group also studies planet-planet interactions, star-planet interactions and tidal disruptions, and planets in binary star systems.
Professor Ulmer’s group is developing new infrared camera technology to advance our understanding of planetary systems by directly imaging planets around other stars.
Professor Wang’s group works on developing and using new instrumentation (high contrast imaging, high resolution spectroscopy, optical interferometry) to study directly imaged planetary systems and measure properties such as mass, orbital configuration, composition, and spin.
Professor Geller studies how gravitational interactions within star clusters can modify planetary systems over time, using numerical simulations, and how these simulated planets correspond with observations.
Professor Lecoanet studies flows in stars, as well as tidal interactions between planets and stars.
Opportunities
Deadline: 11:59pm, October 4, 2024
Northwestern University is excited to be a new host institution for the Heising-Simons Foundation’s 51 Pegasi b Fellowship. Fellows can collaborate on planetary astronomy research and can benefit from affiliation with both CIERA and the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. The 2024/2025 application cycle is open from July 9, 2024 until October 4, 2024.
Deadline: 11:59pm, December 31, 2025
CIERA supports a wide range of interdisciplinary projects focused on research, education, and public outreach in Astrophysics. Our faculty and postdocs work on projects that couple astronomy and astrophysics analysis with many other disciplines: computer science, applied math, planetary sciences, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, data science, science education, and more. Many have hired/mentored undergraduate researchers
News
Gallery
Sun’s magnetic field originates surprisingly close to the surface
Sun’s magnetic field originates surprisingly close to the surface
On May 22, 2024 an international team of researchers, including CIERA Professor Daniel Lecoanet, published a paper in Nature that brings scientists closer than ever before to solving a 400-year-old solar mystery that stumped even famed astronomer Galileo Galilei. Since first observing the sun’s magnetic activity, astronomers have struggled to pinpoint where the process originates.
NASA/SDO/AIA/LMSAL
- Data Science & Computing,
- Interdisciplinary,
- Science
Solar Active Region 3664
Solar Active Region 3664
Between May 10 – 14, 2024 a series of powerful solar storms led to the production of visible aurorae far further towards the equator than normal. This photo was taken by CIERA graduate student Imran Sultan, amateur astrophotographer and member of Professor Claude-André Faucher-Giguère‘s research group. Sultan took this photo on May 10 in Evanston.
- Science
HDR Comparison – Total Solar Eclipse
HDR Comparison – Total Solar Eclipse
Many CIERA members travelled to the April 8th solar eclipse’s path of totality, including graduate student Imran Sultan. This photo was taken from Millinocket, Maine, the last part of the US on the path of totality. Totality is the only time we can see the sun’s corona with our eyes, when the moon has fully eclipsed the
Imran Sultan/Northwestern/CIERA
- Science
Baily’s Beads – Total Solar Eclipse
Baily’s Beads – Total Solar Eclipse
Many CIERA members travelled to the April 8th solar eclipse’s path of totality, including graduate student Imran Sultan. This photo was taken from Millinocket, Maine, the last part of the US on the path of totality. Moments before totality, we can see Baily’s Beads, which is sunlight going through the mountains, craters, and valleys on the moon.
Imran Sultan/Northwestern/CIERA
- Science
Diamond Ring – Total Solar Eclipse
Diamond Ring – Total Solar Eclipse
Many CIERA members travelled to the April 8th solar eclipse’s path of totality, including graduate student Imran Sultan. This photo was taken from Millinocket, Maine, the last part of the US on the path of totality. The phenomenon pictured here is called the “Diamond Ring” and it occurs seconds before totality, just as the moon is
Imran Sultan/Northwestern/CIERA
- Science
The Solar System
The Solar System
This composite image depicts photographer and CIERA graduate student Imran Sultan’s progress shooting the Solar System over 2022-2023. Sultan captured the Sun, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Moon. Each object in the photo is not to scale (in terms of the angular size of the objects in our sky), since different equipment and processing
Imran Sultan/Northwestern/CIERA
- Science
People
Core Faculty
Associate Faculty
Suzan van der Lee
Sarah Rebecca Roland Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, Director of Computing
Affiliate Faculty
Neal Blair
Professor, Joint Appointment in Civil & Environmental Engineering
Magdalena Osburn
Associate Professor, Curriculum Chair, and Seminar Coordinator
External Faculty
Diego Muñoz
Visiting Scholar, Professor at University of Arizona
Postdocs
