Research group The group for stars, planets and astrobiology
Spectrum of the exoplanet HR 8799 c. Image credit: ESO/M. Janson
The actual research on star formation in Stockholm focuses on the observational characteristics of planets and discs, both around young and old stars. The group uses adaptive optics instruments to correct for atmospheric distortion and get clearer images of faint discs and planets around bright parent stars, and uses high-resolution spectroscopy to examine their properties. There is also heavy involvement in space-based facilities such as CHEOPS and PLATO, which can detect unresolved planets through the so-called transit method, where a planet passing in front of a star blocks out a small fraction of the star’s light. Additionally, the group develops techniques for so-called astrometric planet detection, where a planet can be detected from its minute gravitational impact on its parent star.
Researchers in Stockholm are greatly invested in the spectral analysis efforts of million-star surveys like GALAH, WEAVE, and 4MOST.