Portraits of Distant Worlds: Characterizing the Properties of Extrasolar Planets

Heather Knutson
Harvard University

Transiting planets are an incredibly rich source of information. It is only for these systems that we can move beyond a simple estimate of minimum mass to learn something about their structure, composition, and atmospheric dynamics. This is particularly crucial for 'hot Jupiters', whose short orbital periods and tidally locked states make them fundamentally different than any of the planets found in the solar system. In my talk I will review three techniques that have been successfully used to characterize these unusual planets, and highlight some of the resulting advances in our understanding of planetary atmospheres. I will also discuss recent observations of GJ 436b, a transiting Neptune-mass planet, as an example of how we might apply these techniques to study smaller rock or ice planets.