Dr. Jim Hough
University of Hertfordshire

University of Florida Astronomy Colloquium - Dec 7th, 2005

Detecting the polarization signature of extrasolar planets

Detection of the direct light from extrasolar planets is key to undrestanding their properties. Although HST and Spitzer have observed primary and secondary eclipses, respectively, transits will always remain a very small subset of the extrasolar planet population, and the information they provide will be limited.

I describe an optical photo-polarimeter, PlanetPol, designed to have a polarization sensitivity of at least 1 in a million and discuss the initial results we have obtained in observing the reflected light from extrasolar planets and its use in other areas of astronomy.