Astronomy Ireland Public Lecture

The Next Generation of Exoplanet Surveys

By Dr. Don Polacco, Astrophysics Research Centre, Queen's University Belfast.

Monday 08 August at 8:00pm

Trinity College, Dublin

Book Tickets HERE

Order DVD HERE

About the Lecture

The study of Exoplanets is one of the most dynamic and exciting areas of modern astronomy. Since the first discovery in 1995 of a planet around a normal, sun-like, star, more than 400 hundred planets have been discovered. So far most planets have been discovered through the reflex motion they induce in their host star (as they orbit their common centre of mass), and while this technique gives orbital periods, without the orbital inclination almost nothing is learned about the planet itself.

Astronomers within ARC use (and operate) the SuperWASP instruments to look for tiny dips in the brightness of stars due the passage of an orbiting planet and obscuring a fraction of the stellar light (a so-called transit) and this automatically tells us, with excellent accuracy, the inclination. Hence the equations of orbital motion can be solved and the mass and radius and hence density of the planet determined (and compared directly with theoretical models of planet composition). (Cr. ARC/QUB)

ABOUT THE LECTURER

Don Pollacco is a research astronomer working at QUB since 2000. His background is in evolved stars but since moving to QUB he has developed a strong interest in exoplanets thanks, initially, to the SuperWASP project. He currently teach the following courses: MSc PHY9011 Plasma Astrophysics as well as Yr3 PHY3023 Astrophysical Processes. He is also the exoplanet co-ordinator for ESA's PLATO mission.

SOCIAL RECEPTION

After the lecture there will be a social reception in The Lombard and we encourage all of you to come along for a chat.
All are welcome to attend and free food will be kindly provided by The Lombard.

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A prize draw will be held after the lecture.

Booking Information

Date	Monday 08th August
Time	8:00 p.m.
Venue	Physics Department, Fitzgerald Building, Trinity College Dublin. Access can be gained via the Westland Row or Lincoln Place entrances. Click HERE for a building map of Trinity College campus Click HERE for Directions. Click HERE for Map of area
Admission	€7 (€5 Astronomy Ireland members and concessions) Places MUST be booked in advance
Booking	Click HERE to book seats online. Call (01) 847 0777 to book tickets over the phone using Debit/ Credit Card Send a cheque/ PO/ Draft, made payable to Astronomy Ireland to PO BOX 2888, Dublin 5.

DVD

This lecture is also available to people nationwide on DVD.

To order a copy of the DVD simply:

Order by credit/ debit card online HERE
Call (01) 847 0777

Alternatively post a Cheque or postal order to: August 2011 DVD, Astronomy Ireland, PO. Box 2888, Dublin 5.

Cost: DVD’s cost €7 each (add €5 for P&P for any number of DVDs)

Book Tickets HERE

Order DVD HERE

Acknowledgment: Astronomy Ireland would like to thank the TCD Astrophysics Research Group for hosting AI public lectures in Trinity College Dublin.

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