The principal investigator
My name is Aline Vidotto and I am the principal investigator of the "Cool Stars & Exoplanets" group at Trinity College. The research of my group is focused on how stars can affect exoplanets. In particular, we are interested in learning how outflows from stars (winds, coronal mass ejections) can affect exoplanets (their magnetic fields and escaping atmospheres).
Research Funding
Our research has been funded by the following grants:
- European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant)
- Irish Research Council (IRC Laureate Award, IRC Postgraduate Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships)
- Trinity College Provost's Award
Research Interests
Stellar Winds: Solar-like stars (main sequence and pre-main sequence) & low-mass stars: magnetised coronal winds, rotating outflows, structure of the coronal magnetic field, angular momentum loss, magnetic interaction between planets and the host star, accretion disks.
Exoplanetary Magnetic Fields: Formation of bow shocks due to magnetic interaction between planets and the host star. Radio emission through electron-cyclotron maser instability. Escaping atmospheres in exoplanets.
Magnetohydrodynamics Waves: Cool supergiant stars: models of winds driven by Alfven waves, wind heating by dissipation of Alfven waves, charged dust-wave interaction.