Long-term, stable wavelength calibration strategies are absolutely essential if we are to detect and characterize star-planet systems with a higher radial velocity precision. MARVEL is a new state-of-the-art facility at the Mercator Observatory (La Palma, Spain), that intends to accomplish a precision of 1 m/s. The array of four 80cm telescopes feeding a single high-resolution echelle...
ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer has a history of record-breaking discoveries in astrophysics and instrumentation. The next leap forward is its new visitor instrument: the Asgard instrumental suite. It comprises four natively collaborating instruments: HEIMDALLR, an instrument performing both fringe tracking and stellar interferometry with the same optics, simultaneously, in the K...
Our understanding of the giant planets in our solar system has been significantly advanced by the Juno and Cassini missions. These planets provide us with the unique opportunity to understand the interior structure of giant exoplanets. Recent insight into Jupiter’s atmospheric composition indicates a water concentration of 2-8 times solar in the equatorial region, surpassing the subsolar...
Exoplanets of approximately the size of Jupiter but with an orbital distance to their host star even closer than Mercury is to the Sun are called Hot Jupiters. Due to the intense radiation they receive from their host star, they have high temperatures of hundreds to even thousands degrees Kelvin, and the chemical composition of their atmosphere is strongly influenced by the effects of photo-...
Binary planetary bodies are rarely discussed in planetary formation, yet these systems are highly interesting, particularly (near-) equal-mass binaries. Multiple studies have shown planetary objects to form in binaries during the early formation stages, potentially explaining known systems such as Pluto-Charon, the contact binary 67P, and many other observed binaries in the Kuiper and asteroid...
Our understanding of planet formation has changed recently, embracing the new idea of pebble accretion. This means that the influx of pebbles from the outer regions of planet-forming disks to their inner zones could determine the composition of planets and their atmospheres. The solid and molecular components delivered to the planet-forming region can be best characterized by mid- infrared...
Optical integral field spectroscopy of planetary nebulae (PNe) provides a unique tool to explore the spatial relationships between the complex mixture of the many components -- neutral, low and high ionization gas, dust and central star -- and their underlying physical conditions. In this contribution, we highlight selected results on a detailed analysis of the optical line and continuum...
Massive stars are stars whose mass (M) is greater than 8 times that of the Sun. While they only live for a mere 3 to 50 Myr, they heavily impact their surroundings. For example, they drive strong stellar winds, which inject kinetic energy and nuclear processed materials into their environment, therefore affecting local star formation. The properties and structure of these stellar winds are not...
The outer milky way is an environment with a lower carbon and oxygen content. This influences the formation and survival of molecules during star formation in this region. In this work we try to understand the nonlinearity between the state of the physical environment, including the initial chemical content, of these cold dense gas clouds and the observed ratios of the gas. To this end we use...
Interstellar dust grains may cycle through several clouds throughout their lifetime. These clouds can have different densities and the grains encounter various environments which may alter the properties of the grains. JWST enables us to observe dust in the nearby (<3 kpc) diffuse interstellar medium in unprecedented detail. By making use of background stars, we can observe the extinction of...
