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Rebecca Webb

Rebecca is currently a PhD student in the Astronomy and Astrophysics group

"I graduated from the University of Warwick in 2018 with an integrated masters degree in Physics. I am now doing a PhD in the Astronomy and Astrophysics department working on characterising exoplanet atmospheres using high resolution spectroscopy. I primarily work on a class of planets called "hot Jupiters" which are Jupiter sized objects that are very close-in to their host star with orbital periods of just a few days! Generally, exoplanet atmospheres are detected through the means of transmission spectroscopy (i.e. an extra dip in the light curve of the star as the planet eclipses the stellar light), however, with this method we are able to directly detect the orbital motion of these planets which can be used to characterise non-transiting planets. As such, we are able to detect the chemical composition and the vertical temperature-pressure structure of these exotic planets."