Colloquium – Zhoujian Zhang – Studying Exoplanet Origins in the Era of JWST, ELTs, and LSST

Speaker: Zhoujian Zhang (Sagan Fellow, UC Santa Cruz)

Title: Studying Exoplanet Origins in the Era of JWST, ELTs, and LSST

Abstract: The past three years have witnessed a remarkable surge in spectroscopic observations for exoplanet atmospheres, powered by ground-based instruments and JWST. These observations have led to transformative advancements, enhancing our ability to measure the elemental abundances of exoplanets and establishing crucial connections with their formation pathways. This link between exoplanet compositions and their origins has also shaped the scientific prospects for upcoming extremely large telescopes. Despite these strides, the field still remains in its early stages, marked by several critical knowledge gaps. I will present our efforts to tackle these open problems, by leveraging synergies of spectroscopic observations, theoretical modeling, and large sky surveys (e.g., LSST). My research aims to reliably map compositions across a diverse array of exoplanets and their parent stars, delivering a population-level understanding of planet formation pathways as a function of their masses and orbits.