Project description
Untangling stellar signals for clearer exoplanet observations
Transmission spectroscopy (TS) helps scientists learn about the atmospheres of distant planets by measuring light as they pass in front of their stars. However, the presence of spots and bright areas, known as faculae, on a star’s surface can distort these measurements, making it difficult to interpret data accurately. Understanding how these features affect TS is crucial for clear observations. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the INCITE project aims to address this issue by developing methods to reduce the impact of stellar activity on TS results. INCITE will use multiple observations to model and identify indicators that help improve the accuracy of TS.
Objective
Transmission spectroscopy (TS) is a technique, which measures the wavelength-dependent radius of a planet as it transits its star. From this, information about the chemical composition of a planet’s atmosphere can be obtained. The observed transmission spectrum is a combination of the planet and its host star. Inhomogeneities caused by spots and faculae present on stellar surfaces cause temporal changes in the observed transmission spectrum, mimicking a planet’s signal. It is crucial to understand the imprints of faculae and spots on TS to mitigate their signals. Modelling of stellar activity is challenging, and interpreting the stellar signal is full of degeneracies. The community is eager to overcome the stellar contamination conundrum, for which INCITE will propose solutions. INCITE’s objective is to build a methodology for stellar activity mitigation by physically modelling stellar activity in contemporaneous multiple-technique observations. As stellar activity models rely on the knowledge of the surface distribution of magnetic features and their respective brightness spectra, INCITE will combine recent efforts in these areas. The only star for which simultaneous observations of both the distribution of spots and faculae as well as multi-technique observations are available is the Sun. Therefore the first step within INCITE is to accurately model Sun-as-star observables. Another star presents itself as in ideal testbed. GJ 1214 is a cool , small, star, for which observations in multi-techniques, together with observations in TS by NASA’s JWST are available. Based on those two stars, stellar activity indicators that will allow for the most accurate mitigation of stellar activity in TS will be identified. Additionally, extensive studies will be conducted on how different configurations of magnetic fields will affect those activity indices and the mitigation in TS. This makes INCITE a proof-of concept study highly anticipated by the community.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets
- natural sciences physical sciences optics spectroscopy
You need to log in or register to use this function
We are sorry... an unexpected error occurred during execution.
You need to be authenticated. Your session might have expired.
Thank you for your feedback. You will soon receive an email to confirm the submission. If you have selected to be notified about the reporting status, you will also be contacted when the reporting status will change.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
See all projects funded under this callCoordinator
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
28006 MADRID
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.