Course Details in 2027/28 Session

Module Title	LH Exoplanets
School	Physics and Astronomy
Department	Physics & Astronomy
Module Code	03 37605
Module Lead	Professor Amaury Triaud
Level	Honours Level
Credits	10
Semester	Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-24 hours Guided independent study-76 hours Total: 100 hours
Exclusions
Description	Exoplanets are planets that orbit stars other than the Sun. The first exoplanets were discovered in the 1990s. Since then, thousands of new worlds have been identified, rewriting our understanding of Earth’s position of the Cosmos, forcing a re-evaluation of planet formation processes, and kick-starting the search for evidence of biology beyond the Solar System. Thanks to a number of large observational campaigns using ground and space-based observatories, and rapid theoretical developments, exoplanetary research is one of the most exciting and fastest growing topics in astrophysics, and one where the Birmingham is very active. This module brings together these recent results. We shall explore detection techniques for exoplanets , the structures and properties of exoplanets, the formation, evolution and dynamics of exoplanet systems, and the underlying planet population in our Galaxy.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Describe various methods of exoplanet detection, and atmospheric characterisation as well as processes of planet formation and orbital dynamics Understand the properties of exoplanets and their population, and how they relate to various hypotheses about planet formation and habitability Apply that knowledge to realistic but novel problems related to exoplanet observations and theory Derive key concepts of exoplanet theory from first principles, and derive and use scaling relations to solve problems in a fast and efficient way Assess how their solutions to problems compare to current exoplanet knowledge, and interpret the consequences of those solutions Critically examine scientific literature related to exoplanets
Assessment	37605-01 : Exam : Exam (Centrally Timetabled) - Written Unseen (80%) 37605-02 : Assessed Problems : Coursework (20%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Coursework (20%); 1.5 hour Examination (80%)
Other
Reading List