| Since 1995, more than 170 planets around solar-type stars have been discovered by indirect methods. By lack of measurements of radiation of these exoplanets, we have little to no information about their physical characteristics, such as their mass, or the composition and structure of their atmosphere. This, however, is about to change: currently, several instruments for the direct detection of starlight these exoplanets reflect and/or thermal radiation they emit, are being planned. These instruments have the extremely difficult task ahead of finding very faint specks of light very close to bright stars. To succeed, the instrument design must include detailed knowledge of the possible signal of an exoplanet at optical and/or infrared wavelengths. In addition, the interpretation of signals detected by such instruments requires numerical simulations of planetary radiation with realistic models of exoplanets. I propose to conduct a vigorous research programme aimed at the development of state-of-the-art algorithms for calculating radiation of exoplanets. The planetary atmospheres, surfaces, and rings in the Solar System will be used as examples for planet models, and our algorithms will be tested against observations of these objects. I will use the developed algorithms to guide instrument design and to interpret detections of radiation of exoplanets. I will focus on the reflected starlight, and especially on the degree of polarization of this light, which can be several tens of percent. A number of planned instruments will employ polarimetry as a tool for detecting and characterizing exoplanets, because it can distinguish faint, but polarized, planetary signals from bright, but unpolarized, starlight, and because the degree of polarization of a planet is an excellent diagnostics of its physical characteristics. With the proposed research, we will actively participate in one of the major thrusts of astronomical research in the coming decade: the direct detection and characterization of exoplanets. |
