Exoplanets

“Are we alone in the Universe?” and “How did we get here?”, those are two of the most fundamental questions that we strive to answer within the UCLA Exoplanet Group. To this end, we explore planets beyond our own solar system, using some of the world’s most powerful telescopes, cutting-edge theoretical models, and advanced computer simulations. We investigate the types of planets that exist in the universe, how they formed and evolved over time, what complex physical and chemical process drive these intriguing new worlds, and finally how all of this compares to the planets in our own solar system.

In that endeavor, our group particularly benefits from the active exchange of ideas among the many internationally leading experts at UCLA who cover virtually all relevant subfields of (exo)planetary science. This ranges from astronomical observations of exoplanets, over advanced simulations of planet formation and evolution, all the way to the modeling of the complex physical, chemical, and quantum-mechanical processes taking place in their atmospheres and interiors. UCLA’s ongoing success in this area is enabled by a long legacy of world-class planetary science dating back to the earliest NASA missions combined with the many strategic top faculty hires over the past decade.