Experimental Planetology

To do so, the group is at the forefront of developing novel experimental, spectroscopic, and numerical techniques. When coupled with ongoing observations of the physical and chemical properties of rocky planets, both in our own Solar System and beyond, we can hope to provide answers to these questions. Paolo and his team aim to simulate, through experiment, the high temperature conditions that were likely present during the birth of our planet, and of rocky planets more widely.

To reach these temperatures, miniature planets and their atmospheres are simulated in the laboratory. The group uses cutting-edge equipment, from mass spectrometers that are able to detect, in-situ, gas species evaporating from molten rock, to visible- and infrared spectroscopy that examines the vibrational properties of solids, liquids and gases relevant to the formation of planets. These data are used to calibrate and ground-truth astrophysical observations of planetary atmospheres and their surfaces coming from next-generation telescopes. This is achieved by extracting fundamental physical and thermodynamic properties from the measurements, and incorporating them into numerical models to provide quantitative descriptions of the composition, structure and dynamics of planetary bodies.

As both experiments and observations become increasingly precise and more numerous, statistical models of planet formation and evolution will be needed to place these data into a more general context, which is a key objective of the group. Understanding the life-cycle of a planet in the broadest sense enables predictions to be made on their occurrence, prevalence and, in future, the likelihood of the emergence of life on other worlds.