Planetary Science & Astronomy Research at Clemson University
Is the formation of the habitable environment on our planet unique to our Solar System? Our research into planet formation, circumstellar disks, and planetary atmospheres seeks to help address this challenging and important question.
The building blocks of planets are forged in the dusty material around stars, which we investigate by studying the emitted radiation, including the physics and chemistry that is necessary to interpret these diagnostics.
The composition, temperature, and evolution of habitable environemnets, as determined by the detailed physics that determines the properties of atmospheres, is detailed in the case studies of planets and moons in our Solar System.
The vast catalogue of exotic exoplanetary systems tests our ability to generalize our knowledge of the Solar System to planets throughout our galaxy.