Grants and Contributions

This project will use JWST/MIRI and NIRSpec to measure the atmospheric abundances of the first known intact planet orbiting a white dwarf (WD 1856+534). The spectra will also be used to obtain a better estimate of the white dwarf’s cooling age which will be compared with simulations of hydrogen-helium convective mixing in white dwarfs using stellar hydrodynamics code.

This project will use JWST/MIRI and NIRCam to map the edge-on galaxy NGC 4565, resolving its vertical PAH, dust and star formation structure at <20 pc resolution. Covering the full disk out to 30 kpc, the study will test models of galactic self-regulation and reveal whether giant interstellar filaments and vertical ISM structures seen in the Milky Way are common in other galaxies.

This project will use JWST/NirCam imaging along with NIRSpec and MIRI spectroscopy to study the atmosphere and infer the formation history of the first mature cold Jupiter analog planet imaged around another star. These observations will combine the acquired orbital information with archival data to accurately determine the planet’s orbit, mass, and bulk density.

This project will use JWST/NIRSpec and MIRI to obtain high-precision spectra of 14 cold (250 – 500 K) brown dwarfs, creating the first comprehensive “cold world spectral library”. Combined with archival data, it will establish benchmark atmospheric properties – tracing clouds, chemistry, mixing, and auroral processes. This will help guide interpretation of upcoming JWST detections of cold, directly imaged exoplanets and advance comparative planetology across planets and brown dwarfs.

Developing the foundations of metal–oxygen combustion technology for space propulsion and energy storage is the focus of the current proposal and is also linked to a broader goal of advancing metals as carbon-free carriers of clean energy on Earth. This project proposes to analyze experimental data from a space sounding rocket experiment, tentatively scheduled for launch in 2027 from Esrange Space Center in Kiruna (Sweden), and to direct the experiment’s progression in real time through ground-to-space telemetry. In addition, the project will complement the flight mission through a range of ground-based experiments conducted on various metal flames and will test a novel concept for deorbiting debris from Earth and lunar orbits (by inducing deceleration within a large, low-density cloud of nano-oxide particles generated through metal combustion) through a proof-of-concept experiment.

This DDT project targets the active M dwarf K2-384, which hosts five transiting planets. During July 10-11, 2025, three planets will transit sequentially within 13 hours, allowing JWST/NIRSpec-PRISM spectroscopy to isolate stellar contamination and model stellar heterogeneity. The data will constrain K2-384f’s atmospheric composition and support development of new retrieval models, improving JWST strategies for studying planets around active M dwarfs.

This project will produce the most precise 3D temperature map of an exoplanet to date using JWST/NIRSpec eclipse mapping of the ultra-hot Jupiter KELT-20b. Sensitive to water and CO emission, the observations will probe horizontal and vertical temperature structure, revealing how stellar energy is redistributed and how molecular dissociation shapes the atmosphere. The results will also constrain the planet’s C/O and refractory-to-volatile ratios, which are key tracers of its formation and migration.

This project will use JWST/NIRSpec and MIRI/MRS to obtain the first spectroscopic study of an auroral-emitting extrasolar world – the cold brown dwarf WISEP J1935-1546. Building on prior methane emission detections, the observations will search for CH4, H3+ and NH3+ features and test whether the emissions arise from a thermal inversion or magnetic interactions. The results will link planetary, substellar and exoplanetary atmospheric processes, demonstrating JWST’s unique reach for such faint targets.

This project aims to elucidate cosmic dawn and the dark ages through observations of the radio sky with two custom-built telescopes in the Canadian high Arctic: the Mapper of the Intergalactic medium Spin Temperature (MIST) and the Array of Long Baseline Antennas for Taking Radio Observations from the Seventy-ninth parallel (ALBATROS). These telescopes will advance scientific knowledge while simultaneously serving as platforms for prototyping instrumentation and measurement techniques for future space missions. The project objectives focus on in-depth calibration tests using MIST and ALBATROS. The resulting deliverables include improved constraints on cosmic dawn and the dark ages, and new techniques for characterizing instrumental effects that arise from environmental interactions.

This project will use JWST/NIRCam to image Epsilon Eridani b; a Jupiter mass object in orbit around one of the closest neighbouring sun-like stars. These images will be further used to determine the planet’s mass and orbit using a newly developed radial velocity and astrometric orbit modelling technique.