Ava Morrissey

Searching for Escape

Understanding exoplanet atmospheres is crucial for comprehending the diversity of planetary systems. This study offers key insights into the formation of the radius gap observed in the small planet population. By investigating atmospheric mass loss in real-time, we aim to constrain the mechanisms driving atmospheric evaporation and the timescales over which they occur. Our research focuses on HIP 94235 b, a 120 Myr old sub-Neptune, 3 Earth radius planet on a close-in orbit around a Sun-like star. We conducted multiple observations using HST’s STIS and VLT’s CRIRES+ to search for signs of an evaporating atmosphere, utilising both hydrogen and helium tracers. This presentation outlines our findings from this multi-tracer approach to studying atmospheric escape.