The study of exoplanets is an emerging field of astrophysics which endeavors to discover and study planets located outside of our Solar System. Since the discovery of PSR1257+12 b in 1992, nearly a thousand extrasolar planets have been confirmed and carefully examined, vastly expanding our knowledge of the planetary sciences and the universe as a whole. This project primarily develops an overarching understanding of the physics and history behind the development of the exoplanetary sciences, including an analysis of the trends found in the current list of exoplanetary discoveries. With a specific focus and examination of the transit method, this project also provides a summary of data gathered from a live observation of the WASP-13 exoplanetary system.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Iamartino, Christian Joseph

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-092514-004737

Advisor

• Aravind, Padmanabhan K.

Year

• 2014

Date created

• 2014-09-25

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Physics

Rights statement

• In Copyright

License

• All rights reserved