Transiting Exoplanets

by Carole A. Haswell

Overview

The methods used in the detection and characterization of exoplanets are presented through the study of transiting systems in this unique textbook for advanced undergraduates. From determining the atmospheric properties of transiting exoplanets to measuring the planetary orbit's alignment with the stellar spin, students will discover what these measurements imply for reinvigorated theories of planet formation and evolution. Worked examples and exercises with full solutions help students to assess their understanding of concepts and results. Key points and equations are highlighted to make them easily identifiable, and there are full color illustrations throughout. Bridging the gap between introductory, non-mathematical texts and more advanced textbooks, this book is ideal for students with some background in mathematics, physics and astronomy. Accompanying resources to this textbook are available at: http://www.cambridge.org/features/astrophysics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521191838
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	07/29/2010
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.40(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Carole A. Haswell is a Senior Lecturer in Physics and Astronomy in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Open University. She worked on accretion flows around black hole binary star systems until becoming fascinated by the field of exoplanets. Her research work now focuses on Hubble Space Telescope observations of transiting exoplanets.

Table of Contents

1. Our solar system from afar; 2. Exoplanet discoveries by the transit method; 3. What the transit lightcurve tells us; 4. The transiting exoplanet population; 5. Transmission spectroscopy and Rossiter-McLaughlin effect; 6. Secondary eclipses and phase variations; 7. Transit timing variations and orbital dynamics; 8. Brave new worlds: the future; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"This advanced-level undergraduate text distils the essential physics and methodology of planet discovery and characterisation into a single volume. The book’s narrative is cleverly constructed, outlining the progression of exoplanetary discoveries in more-or-less chronological sequence, interspersed with detailed step-by-step presentations of the underlying principles that underpinned each stage in the discovery process. The book treats all these facets of exoplanetary science at a comprehensive level making it an essential reference work for graduate students and more advanced researchers." Professor Andrew Collier Cameron, University of St Andrews

I am very impressed by this book’s content and presentation. For the first time, all the necessary equations and groundwork in the field are clearly explained within one volume. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any student or scientist hoping to make a contribution to the exciting field of transiting planets. This book is a must-read for any graduate student starting out in the field, and it will earn its place on the shelves of the experienced specialist as an invaluable reference text." Dr Frédéric Pont, University of Exeter

"[This book] does an excellent job of preparing observers for their first foray into exoplanets, whether they be serious amateurs or students. ...I will use it to train new exoplanets research students, both undergraduate and graduate, accompanied by a selection of research articles. It will occupy prime real estate on the shelves of undergraduate and amateur astronomers working with or acquiring transit data with small and medium-sized telescopes. It will even be very useful in a course on exoplanets." Meteoritics and Planetary Science

"Transiting exoplanets does an outstanding job of preparing observers for their first foray into exoplanets, whether they be serious amateurs or students. It would also make a nice supplementary text in a course on exoplanets, as it becomes increasingly important that all astronomy and planetary science students learn just what it takes to discover, confirm, and study the planets of stars other than the sun." -Joseph Harrington, Meteoritics and Planetary Science

From the Publisher