Sean McCloat

I study exoplanets from both theoretical and observational directions. Observationally, I study the transits of individual planets and perform both photometry and atmospheric spectroscopy to learn about their size, composition, and on-going processes. Theoretically, I model the overall arrangements of planetary systems (their architectures) to explore how planets form, which planets have water, and what combinations of planets likely occur together. Currently, I collaborate with scientists in Chile developing a model of pebble accretion that simultaneously and self-consistently describes the growth of planetary systems around different types of stars and protoplanetary disk environments. I also collaborate with astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute characterizing exoplanet atmospheres observed with the Hubble Space Telescope.