Panayotis Lavvas — Photochemical Hazes in Planetary Atmospheres From the Solar System to Exoplanets

Photochemical hazes are ubiquitous components of planetary atmospheres with important ramifications for the atmospheric thermal structure, the chemical composition, and the circulation, as well as, for the planetary surface properties. In the solar system, observations with major space missions such as the Voyagers, the Cassini-Huygensand the New Horizons start to illuminate the mechanisms involved in the formation of hazes. Studies on the characteristic hazy atmospheres of Titan, Pluto, and Triton, reveal the similarities, but also the fundamental differences in the photochemical haze properties and their impact on their host atmospheres. Exoplanet atmosphere also appear to have hazes, which significantly affect the characterization of these environments. Although the composition of these components is currently a topic of great debate, we will see what the lessons we learn from the solar system can tell us about the hazes in these distant worlds.