Project description
Detecting magma oceans on distant exoplanets
Volcanoes and magma oceans helped shape the habitability, climate and atmospheric composition of many planets and moons in our solar system. Technological advancements in sensitivity now allow astronomers to detect atmospheric signatures left by magma oceans on distant exoplanets. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the MAGMA project will explore the role magmatic processes play in the evolution of rocky exoplanets. Rather than relying on James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) data, MAGMA will focus on ground-based, high-resolution spectroscopy. Leveraging Keck Planet Finder and CARMENES data, it will probe for volcanic gases, evaluate atmospheric escape and link them to planetary interiors, while augmenting these datasets with select observations from the JWST, Cheops and Hubble Space Telescope.
Objective
Active volcanoes and magma oceans were once widespread in our solar system. By influencing atmospheric composition, climate and habitability, they played a fundamental role in the evolution of many moons and planets. Yet, observational evidence of how these magmatic processes influence the state of a planet is so far limited to our solar system. However, recent observations of the 55 Cancri and L 98-59 systems demonstrate that we now have the sensitivity to detect and characterize the effects of magmatic processes on the atmospheres of planets around other stars.
The MAGMA project will open this frontier by combining exoplanet and planetary sciences to explore how magmatic processes governs rocky exoplanets. Unlike most similar efforts that focus primarily on JWST data, MAGMA will make ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy its central tool, exploiting KPF and CARMENES data to search for volcanic gases, probe atmospheric escape, and link observable signals to planetary interiors. These datasets will be complemented by select JWST, CHEOPS and Hubble observations.
MAGMA has three goals: (i) understanding the conditions for lava worlds to retain their atmospheres, (ii) testing whether volcanism can replenish atmospheres, and (iii) providing the first observational constraints on the interior properties of rocky exoplanets. The project carries low risk, as much of the data has already been collected, and even non-detections will yield stringent upper limits of lasting scientific value.
By pushing the capabilities of KPF and CARMENES to their limits, MAGMA will also act as a critical pathfinder for the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), preparing the tools needed to characterize rocky planets in the decades ahead. In doing so, it will establish a multidisciplinary framework for understanding how magmatic processes shape the evolution and habitability of planets across the galaxy.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Topic(s)
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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.
Funding Scheme
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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-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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1211 Geneve
Switzerland
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