Colloquium – Katia Matcheva – Exoplanets Exploration in the Era of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence

Speaker: Katia Matcheva (University of Florida)

Title: Exoplanets Exploration in the Era of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence

Abstract:

Transmission spectroscopy is a powerful tool to decode the chemical composition of the atmospheres of transiting extrasolar planets. Our ability to reliably and meaningfully extract information about their physical structure and chemical composition from the observed spectra relies on the complete understanding of the mathematics of the problem, knowing the uncertainties of the observations, as well as, on our ability to handle large volumes of data associated with high-resolution spectra in the era of large planetary surveys such as the ESA Ariel mission. With close to 1000 planets scheduled for observation, Ariel presents us with a new type of challenge: how to quickly process, characterize and understand the exotic conditions on these planets.
In my presentation, I will explore various approaches that leverage astrophysical simulation tools producing vast datasets and harness the recent surge in machine learning algorithms that are fast, robust, and are capable of discerning patterns and correlations within complex parameter spaces. I will discuss the value of simulation-based inference, emphasizing its unique role in advancing our understanding of spectroscopic exoplanet data from both theoretical and observational perspectives.

Host: Sergei Gleyzer