Project description
Searching for water on sub-Neptunes
Sub-Neptunes are a class of planets whose mass and size are between those of Earth and Neptune. Although they are among the most common planets in the galaxy, fundamental questions about their characteristics and origin remain unanswered. The most prevalent theory is that they are gas dwarfs with a rocky core and gaseous exosphere. However, recent evidence indicates that they may in fact be water worlds with rocks, ice and oceans. The ERC-funded THIRSTEE project aims to answer key questions concerning sub-Neptune formation and evolution and their atmospheres and demographic properties. With the help of leading-edge observational facilities, the project will use multiple approaches that combine transit, radial velocity and atmospheric characterisation data within a novel statistical framework.
Objective
"THIRSTEE is a ground-breaking project focusing on sub-Neptunes, a class of planets with masses and radii between those of Earth and Neptune. These planets are the most common in the Galaxy, especially around Sun-like stars, but the most basic questions about their origin and nature remain unanswered. Are sub-Neptunes ""gas dwarfs"" (Earth-like cores surrounded by large hydrogen-rich envelopes formed near their observed close-in locations) or ""water worlds"" (planets formed beyond the snow line composed of a 1:1 mixture of ice and rock)? If the latter exist, what are their demographic and individual properties and how do they depend on stellar host type? Do any of them harbour liquid water oceans below their atmospheres?
The gas dwarf hypothesis has the most traction in the field, but recent evidence suggests the existence of water worlds. The observations, however, can be explained by both scenarios due to the modelling degeneracies that surround these planets. THIRSTEE aims to solve this debate using a multi-technique approach combining transit, radial velocity and atmospheric characterization data with a novel statistical framework that accounts for observational biases. This dataset constitutes a valuable addition to the community, enlarging the known sample into unexplored regions of the parameter space and enabling a direct comparison with synthetic planet populations.
THIRSTEE is designed to mitigate all the shortcomings that have prevented previous studies from reaching conclusive results about this enigmatic population. For the first time, such an ambitious program can be pursued thanks to the simultaneous operation of state-of-the-art observational facilities. The project seeks to answer key questions about sub-Neptune formation and evolution, their atmospheres, and their demographic properties. Thanks to its unique approach, THIRSTEE will revolutionize our understanding of sub-Neptunes and their potential significance in the search for life beyond Earth."
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.
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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.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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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.
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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-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG
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28006 Madrid
Spain
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