The discovery and characterization of exoplanets requires both superbly accurate instrumentation and sophisticated statistical methods, to extract weak planetary signals from dominant starlight, very large samples and noisy datasets. This meeting will bring together exoplanet and computational statistics experts to discuss and address key challenges, including:
- detection of exoplanets using a variety of methods including radial velocity, astrometry, transits, direct imaging, and microlensing
- detailed modelling of planetary signals to extract information on the planets’ orbital, bulk and atmospheric properties
- inferring the properties of the underlying planet population from incomplete and biased samples from a range of surveys.
Invited speakers include leading statisticians and astronomers at the forefront of exoplanet detection and characterisation. The program will include sessions on:
- planetary signals in sparse datasets
- planetary signals in continuous light curves
- high contrast imaging
- planet populations
- planetary atmospheres
- statistician’s perspective
Although exoplanets are a particularly fertile ground for cross-disciplinary work, the increased importance of statistical methodology is a trend that extends across much of astronomy, and we hope to attract a broad spectrum of participants taking part in the IAU General Assembly.
To build on what we hope will be a productive exchange of ideas between the two communities, we will also organise a day of tutorials and hands-on experimentation with algorithms and software packages, outside the official IAU GA program, on Thursday 6th of August. See Hack Day.
The focus meeting will be sponsored by the International Statistical Institute, International Astrostatistics Association, Institute of Mathematical Statistics and the International Astronomical Union.
N.B. This site is intended merely to perserve the content of the original (much better looking) website, developed by Dr. Paul Wilson.