1) Introductory framework to the study of planets and exoplanets
- Observations and statistics
- Orbital parametrisation.
- Energy balance, albedo, planet-star flux ratios, light curves and phase curves.

2) Direct and indirect detection methods
- Radial velocities, transits, TTV, astrometry, microlensing, pulsar timing, direct imaging.
- Observational challenges, systematics and biases
- Review of past, current and future instrumentation for exoplanet detection

3) Elements of planet formation and evolution theories
- Protoplanetary disks (structure, dynamics and chemical abundances).
- Formation of giant planets, Earths and Neptunes. Satellites.
- Planetary migration. Orbital motion and spacing. Orbital resonances, planetary rotations and tidal locking mechanism.
- Planetary masses and bulk compositions
- Observational evidences and challenges

4) Composition and evolution of planetary atmospheres
- Earth, Venus and Jupiter
- Primordial atmospheres and their evolution through photochemical, escape, impact enrichment, volcanic and sink processes. Evolved atmospheres.
- Elements of cloud formation, winds, energy redistribution.
- Giant planets and their link with brown dwarf

5) Observational techniques to detect and characterise exoplanet atmospheres
- Transit spectroscopy, spectroscopically resolved phase curves, eclipse mapping.
- Direct imaging spectroscopy
- Experimental challenges and biases. HST, Spitzer and JWST. Ground instrumentation.

6) Remote sensing of the atmospheres
- Fundamentals of radiative transfer applied to the observing geometry
- Scattering (Mie and Rayleigh). Molecular absorption cross section. Condensate opacities.
- Vertical structures of planetary atmospheres. Hydrostatic equilibrium and scale height. Temperature inversion and the stratosphere. Circulation.
- Our Solar System: a case study
- Atmospheric bio-signatures

Last modified: Monday, 18 February 2019, 11:52 AM