Future Exoplanet Research: Radio Detection and Characterization
摘要
Auroral radio emission from extrasolar planets can constitute a treasure trove of information difficult or impossible to obtain otherwise. For example, radio detection is probably the only method to unambiguously detect exoplanetary magnetic fields. With this information, one can indirectly infer the planetary structure and interior. To date, no confirmed radio detection has been achieved, even though a certain number of observations have been conducted; some tentative detections have been published, and a host of theoretical studies have been performed. The current status of radio studies of extrasolar planets and their auroral emission has been described in this book (see “Radio Observations as an Exoplanet Discovery Method” in the chapter by J. Lazio, this volume, and “Star-Planet Interactions in the Radio Domain: Prospect for Their Detection” in the chapter by P. Zarka, this volume) and elsewhere. This contribution discusses the developments that are currently ongoing and describe how they could shape the field of exoplanet research in the future.