Opening a New Chapter of Exoplanet Science with JWST with Dr. Ian Wong (NASA GSFC)

Abstract: It has been more than 25 years since the first detection of an exoplanet orbiting a Sun-like star. In that time, the discovery of thousands of confirmed exoplanets has revolutionized our understanding of planetary systems across the galaxy. Armed with a powerful arsenal of observational techniques, astronomers have leveraged both ground- and space-based facilities to expand our picture of exoplanet demographics and characterize these alien worlds with ever increasing detail. The latest generation of spectroscopic instruments and cutting-edge observing strategies have enabled us to examine the composition and dynamics of exoplanetary atmospheres, revealing an incredible diversity of molecular species, cloud types, and physical processes, many of which are not seen in our own Solar System. The results of these studies have in turn challenged our conceptions of planet formation and evolution, and there remain countless open questions with foundational implications for astronomy. The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will usher in a new age of exoplanet science. The suite of next-generation instruments onboard will dramatically broaden the accessible wavelength range and greatly improve the sensitivity of observations, allowing us to synthesize exquisite three-dimensional views of exoplanet atmospheres for the first time. In this talk, I will provide a brief overview of exoplanets – from discovery to characterization – and outline some of the exciting science that will be made possible by JWST in the very near future.

Speaker Bio: Born and raised in Irvine, California, Ian Wong received a B.A. in Linguistics in 2012 from Princeton University. After a semester-long internship in the Advanced Propulsion Laboratory at NASA MSFC, he entered the PhD program in Planetary Science at Caltech. As part of Prof. Michael Brown’s group, he embarked on a wide-ranging study of icy minor bodies in the middle and outer Solar System, including photometric and spectroscopic characterization of Jupiter Trojans, Hildas, and small Kuiper Belt objects. In addition, he worked on atmospheric characterization of gas giant exoplanets with Prof. Heather Knutson, with a focus on secondary eclipse and phase curve photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope and transmission spectroscopy using data from the Hubble Space Telescope. After defending his PhD thesis in 2018, Ian moved across the country to Boston, where he began a three-year stint at MIT as a 51 Pegasi b Postdoctoral Fellow under the supervision of Prof. Richard Binzel. During his time at MIT, his research continued to straddle both solar system science and exoplanet astronomy. He has contributed to ground- and space-based characterization of Jupiter Trojans in support of the recently-launched Lucy mission and carried out photometric studies of active Centaurs. Using photometry from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), he has embarked on a systematic multiyear study of visible-light exoplanet phase curves, while simultaneously pursuing discoveries of new exoplanets. As an NPP Fellow at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Dr. Stefanie Milam’s group, Ian will leverage the unique capabilities of JWST to carry out exciting science, including intensive spectroscopic analyses of comets and Jupiter Trojans, as well as exoplanet atmospheric studies. Outside of research, he enjoys playing violin, exploring the outdoors, and streaming video games.