Research

The research of my group is focused on star-exoplanet relationships. By using theory and numerical simulations, with the aid of observations, we research the interaction of exoplanets with their host star's wind. Our research allows us to investigate how (and whether) these interactions can produce detectable observational signatures, how the stellar wind can affect planetary magnetospheres, how it shapes escape in close-in planets, among other physical processes. Our research therefore can supply more detailed diagnostics of the wind interaction with exoplanets, guiding observers towards the most promising systems to host detectable signatures of such interactions. Our numerical and theoretical work is further complemented by numerous collaborations with observers.

Would you like to learn more? I have written reviews and overviews on stellar winds and star-planet interactions. In this more recent review, I examine star-planet interactions under the light of computational models. These selected materials are adequate for MSc/PhD student level and above. They can also be useful for non-specialists who would like to get more familiar with these fields.

Publications and CV

For more details on our work, please check my list of publications in ADS. My CV can be found in Orcid.

Group

Current group members

• Prof. Aline Vidotto (Principal Investigator)
• A. Allan (PhD Candidate)
• Dr S. Bellotti (Postdoctoral Scholar)
• Dr P. Cristofari (Postdoctoral Scholar)
• Dr F. Elekes (Postdoctoral Scholar)
• Dr A. Elias Lopez (Postdoctoral Scholar)
• A. Falorca (PhD Candidate)
• A. Presa (PhD Candidate)

Former group members (in reverse chronological order)

• Dr D. Evensberget (Postdoctoral Scholar)
• Markus Strickert (former PhD Student)
• Dr Sebastian Pineda (visitor researcher)
• Dr Robert Kavanagh (former PhD Student)
• Dr Amanda Mesquita (former PhD Student)
• Dr Gopal Hazra (former Postdoctoral Scholar)
• Dr Stephen Carolan (former PhD Student)
• Dr Donna Rodgers-Lee (former Postdoctoral Scholar)
• Dr Daria Kubyshkina (former Postdoctoral Scholar)
• Dr Carolina Villarreal D'Angelo (IRC Postdoctoral Fellow)
• Dr Dualta O Fionnagain (former PhD student)

Open positions

At this time, all positions in my group have been filled. If you are interested in joining my group, there are several possibilities, including individual (independent) fellowship calls that a prospective candidate could apply to. Please, get in touch!

About me

I am a Professor at the Observatory of Leiden University in the Netherlands. Prior to joining Leiden Observatory in September 2021, I was a faculty member at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, and, before that, I held independent research fellowships from the Royal Astronomical Society (at University of St Andrews) and from the Swiss National Science Foundation (at Geneva Observatory). I obtained my PhD from the University of Sao Paulo, in (patria amada) Brazil. My group has been funded by multiple grants, with the most recent ones being a NWO Vici grant, an ERC Consolidator grant ASTROFLOW and an IRC Consolidator Laureate award.

Contact