Future exoplanet research: XUV (EUV and X-Ray) detection and characterization

Abstract

This chapter gives an overview of the current status of XUV research in exoplanets and highlights the prospects of future observations. Fundamental questions about the formation and the physical and chemical evolution of exoplanets, particularly hot Jupiters, are addressed through the different lines of XUV research: these comprise XUV irradiation of planetary atmospheres by the host stars, and consequent mass loss and atmospheric evaporation; X-ray and UV transits in exoplanet systems; and Star-Planet Interactions, most often determined by magnetic and tidal forces. While no other UV instrumentation as powerful as that carried by the Hubble Space Telescope will be available for detailed studies in the foreseeable future, the discovery potential of future revolutionary X-ray observatories, such as ATHENA and Lynx, will provide accurate atmosphere characterization and will make strides towards establishing the physics of the interactions between exoplanets and their host stars.