| Name: Satyam Srivastav |
| Affiliation: School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar |
| Conference ID: ASI2026_524 |
| Title: Temperature dependent Reaction Kinetics and Photodissociation cross-section data for exoplanetary atmospheres |
| Abstract Type: Oral |
| Abstract Category: Sun, Solar System, Exoplanets, and Astrobiology |
| Author(s) and Co-Author(s) with Affiliation: Satyam Srivastav(Exoplanets and Planetary Formation Group, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Re), Liton Majumdar(Exoplanets and Planetary Formation Group, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Re) |
| Abstract: Over the past three decades, astrophysics has undergone a remarkable transformation with the discovery of nearly 6,000 exoplanets[1]. This rapid progress has shifted the focus from detection to detailed characterization of exoplanetary atmospheres. Spectroscopy across a broad spectral range (currently 0.2–24 μm) is the primary tool for probing atmospheric composition, chemical processes, and physical conditions, thereby addressing fundamental questions related to planetary formation, and potential habitability[2]. As the field enters a golden era of atmospheric studies of exoplanets and the first light of the Extremely Large Telescope draws closer, it is crucial that spectroscopic and chemical modelling techniques reach a level of maturity and reliability that can be confidently adopted by the wider scientific community. Accurate interpretation of exoplanetary spectra requires extensive temperature-dependent photodissociation cross-section data, two-body and three-body reaction rates. However, for the high-temperature conditions typical of many exoplanetary atmospheres, such data remain largely unavailable from laboratory measurements. This project aims to fill this critical gap by providing a comprehensive and self-consistent set of chemical data for molecules relevant to exoplanet atmospheres. To achieve this, a combination of first-principles and empirically tuned quantum-chemical methods will be employed to compute reaction rates and photodissociation cross-section data over temperature range (T = 1000–3000 K). In parallel, new computational methodologies will be developed to enable reliable treatment of larger and more complex molecular systems. By integrating high-level spectroscopic calculations with experimental collaborations, this work will clarify key molecular formation pathways and lifetimes under astrophysical conditions. The resulting advances will strengthen exoplanet research while also benefiting related fields such as atmospheric and combustion kinetics. Ultimately, the project will deliver a curated spectroscopic and kinetic rate database that will serve as a long-term resource for the astrophysical and astrochemical communities.
[1] https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/
[2] Yurchenko et al. (2025), nature review physics, 7, pages 645–659 (2025)
|
