Integrated Calendar

Exoplanetary research is driven by the ultimate goal of defining whether
life can exist beyond the Earth and the solar system. Commonly, a planet
is defined as habitable if its surface temperature allows water to exist
in a liquid form. In contrast, the physics of the solar atmosphere, the
interplanetary environment, and the upper atmospheres of planets in the
solar system, including the Earth, is governed by the electromagnetic
forces and interaction between charged particles and magnetic fields. In
particular, the atmosphere of the Earth is shielded from the intense
radiation in space and from the solar wind by the Earth¹s intrinsic
magnetic field. In exoplanetary systems, and in particular, in those with
close-in planets, the strong X-ray and EUV radiation, and the
stellar magnetic activity might strongly effect the planet¹s atmosphere.
In these extreme space conditions and without a strong intrinsic magnetic
field, the atmospheres of such planets could be completely evaporated or
eroded. As a result, they might not be habitable after all. In my talk, I
will present a numerical study of the space environment of close-in
exoplanets, the interaction between the planet and the star, and the role
of space plasma effects in planet habitability.