Adaptive optics for high-contrast imaging: The Holographic Modal Wavefront Sensor (HMWFS) Goal: Combining focal-plane Meetings feature presentations by PhD students, postdocs and professors wavefront sensing with apodising phase plate coronography to create who are carrying out research relating to planetary science. temporally stable high-contrast regions in the science PSF, suited to Next meeting: 29 MAY 2015 AT LEIDEN OBSERVATORY, LEIDEN UNIVERSITY direct imaging of and Michael Wilby If you would like to join or would like more information, Fig: Focal-plane image of a 6 Zernike mode HMWFS, with a) flat their characterisation with next- Leiden Observatory wavefront and b) 1.5 radians defocus error (Z3). Modal content of the generation instrumentation. [email protected] input wavefront is measured directly by coupled pairs of WFS spots please email [email protected]. Aqueous alteration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Delivery of organic material and water Present in meteorites and asteroids to planets through asteroid impacts at NAC Is it possible through The goal is to define observables for observations aqueous alteration to alter or breakdown with JWST, METIS & SPICA. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons We will study the role of "exo-asteroids" in the delivery of water in asteroids/meteorites? and organics to exoplanets which is interesting because water and organics are relevant for astro-biology. Kateryna Frantseva Claudia-Corina Giese Fig: Scanning electron microscope SRON Groningen/Kapteyn Institute, Leiden Observatory and Method: N-body dynamic modeling of asteroids + planets. image of a sample after 70 days. Rijksuniversiteit Groningen Department of Earth Sciences, Fig: Artist’s impression Challenge: Can we model the chemical composition of asteroid Experiment of olivine with naphthalene of an asteroid impact [email protected] in anoxic water and 150˚C Utrecht University [email protected] belts in different exoplanetary systems? geology; gas and dust from hot, rocky exoplanets Experimentally constraining the build-up of planetary Present interiors and planet formation conditions Hot rocky exoplanets that are releasing gas and dust at NAC from evaporation or disintegration provide the • High pressure (P) – (T) experiments: Silicate ‘’mantle’’ opportunity to indirectly observationally probe the Moon, asteroid Vesta, Angrite Parent Body geology of rocky exoplanets. • Determining P, T & redox conditions This can be done by studying the released gas and dust during (core) formation Metal Andrew Ridden-Harper ‘’core’’ with techniques that have been previously applied to Leiden Observatory • Density of mantle melts Edgar S. Steenstra study the atmospheres of hot- type exoplanets. Fig: Artist’s impression of the [email protected] at high P-T VU University Amsterdam disintegrating exoplanet KIC12557548b [email protected] High pressure experiments to study the formation, composition, Laboratory High Resolution Infrared Spectra of Hydrocarbons

and internal structure of rocky (and carbon-rich) exoplanets Present at NAC With the Supersonic Plasma InfraRed Fig: This microscopic image of our experimental Poster Absorption Spectrometer (SPIRAS) at Session sample shows that carbon does not form SiC up to (#18) Leiden, accurate rotational constants of the pressures of 2 GPa. This result impacts the hydrocarbons are determined, which interior structure models of carbon-rich exoplanets aid their detection in the atmospheres which assume huge layers of SiC. Fe, Si, O, Mg, Ca, of planets and moons, e.g. Saturn’s Kaustubh Hakim moon Titan. Kirstin Doney Al, S and C have been used to simulate the interior of Anton Pannekoek Institute, Leiden Observatory University of Amsterdam and [email protected] a carbon-rich exoplanet. VU University, Amsterdam [email protected] Measuring the spin of the directly imaged sub-stellar Modelling gas-phase and cosmic-ray-induced chemistry

Present companion GQ Lupi b at NAC in planet-forming regions Talk on Abundance evolution of volatile species, when Preliminary result: Strong cross-correlation Thursday at 12:15 allowing chemical reactions to occur. CO signal from the sub-stellar companion in Grasuil 2 GQ Lupi b. The rotational spin of the The abundances indicate that chemical evolution companion can be determined from the alters the chemical composition of planet- width of the signal. Henriette Schwarz forming material over time, and in different ways Christian Eistrup Leiden Observatory depending on radial distance from the central [email protected] Leiden Observatory protostar. [email protected] Modelling the inner rim of protoplanetary disks – Molecules at the night-side of a non-transiting planet fitting Pionier data of HD100453 Present Using high dispersion infrared spectra, we at NAC aim to detect molecules on the night-side of Grain size, porosity and dust the non-transiting hot Jupiter HD179949b. species influence the We can detect H2O and CO on the day-side position, shape and optical of this planet using the same technique thickness of the inner rim, (Brogi et al., 2014). which in turn determines the Lucia Klarmann Dr. Remco de Kok Preliminary results show promising SRON shape of the visibilities. University of Amsterdam [email protected] signatures of both H2O and CO. [email protected] Photo-stability of complex organic matter in cometary ices Phototrophy on Earth as a proxy for the remote detection of extraterrestrial life Complex organic molecules (COM) are the building blocks of life. Several COMs have been detected in space, and Evaluating the spectral features relating to their formation in ice has been proven. phototrophy (i.e. the red/NIR edge and Understanding the photo-stability and photo-induced homochirality) for their utility as remotely chemistry of COM embedded in ice & mineral matrices is Vincent Kofman detectable surface biosignatures on vital in understanding the flux of COM to terrestrial planets. Leiden Observatory (exo)planets. Lucas Patty Department of Earth Sciences, VU University Amsterdam Utrecht University [email protected] [email protected] presented at NAC (Netherlands Astronomy Conference) 2015 arranged by Andrew Ridden-Harper & Claudia-Corina Giese