Dr. Luca Fossati

Space Research Institute (IWF), Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW)
Schmiedlstrasse 6, 8042, Graz, Austria

Atmospheric escape as a tool to study stars and planets

Atmospheric escape is a key component of planetary evolution and shapes the observed exoplanet population. Furthermore, the upper atmosphere of planets, where the escape occurs, interacts with the stellar radiation and wind. Observations, particularly at ultraviolet wavelength, enable one to study this interaction and probe physical properties of stars that would be otherwise hard, or even impossible, to investigate. I will present the major observational and theoretical results gathered by our group on the topic of exoplanet atmospheric escape and enabling to gather unique information about stars and their planets.