Session programme

Atmospheric aerosols and cloud particles are found in every atmosphere of the solar system, as well as, in exoplanets. Depending on their size, shape, chemical composition, latent heat, and distribution, their effect on the radiation budget varies drastically and is difficult to predict. When organic, aerosols also carry a strong prebiotic interest reinforced by the presence of heavy atoms such as nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur.

The aim of the session is to gather presentations on these complex objects for both terrestrial and giant planet atmospheres, including the special cases of Titan’s and Pluto's hazy atmospheres. All research aspects from their production and evolution processes, their observation/detection, to their fate and atmospheric impact are welcomed, including laboratory investigations and modeling.

Space missions, ground-based observations and theory allow for detailed characterization of planetary upper atmospheres in the solar system that provides novel insights into the physical mechanisms at play. At the same time, the detection of short-period extrasolar planets has inspired numerous studies of chemistry, dynamics, and escape of the upper atmospheres of these planets, at more extreme conditions than those found in the solar system. More than ever, it is critical to foster the communication between the communities working on the theoretical and observational aspects of both solar system and exoplanet upper atmospheres. This communication will secure a solid progress in the interpretation of new atmospheric observables and in the implications for e.g. planet demographics.

This session brings together researchers from the solar system and exoplanet communities in an attempt to exchange knowledge and ideas. We welcome papers on all aspects of planetary aeronomy i.e., the science of the upper atmosphere, either in the solar system or exoplanet systems. Suitable papers include results on photochemistry and ionization, magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling, energy balance and circulation, atmospheric escape and evolution as well as new observations and novel observational techniques.

Astrobiology is the study of whether present or past life exists elsewhere in the universe. To understand how life can begin in space, it is essential to know what organic compounds were likely available, and how they interacted with the planetary environment. This session seeks papers that offer existing/novel theoretical models or computational works that address the chemical and environmental conditions relevant to astrobiology on terrestrial planets/moons or ocean worlds, along with other theoretical, experimental, and observational works related to the emergence and development of Life in the Universe. This includes work related to prebiotic chemistry, the chemistry of early life, the biogeochemistry of life’s interaction with its environment, chemistry associated with biosignatures and their false positives, and chemistry pertinent to conditions that could possibly harbor life (e.g. Titan, Enceladus, Europa, TRAPPIST-1, habitable exoplanets, etc.). Understanding how the planetary environment has influenced the evolution of life and how biological processes have changed the environment is an essential part of any study of the origin and search for signs of life. Major Space Agencies identified planetary habitability and the search for evidence of life as a key component of their scientific missions in the next two decades. The development of instrumentation and technology to support the search for complex organic molecules and the endurance of life in space environments is critical to define unambiguous approaches to life detection over a broad range of planetary environments.

This session welcomes abstracts from several scientific domains such as prebiotic and interstellar chemistry, micropaleontology, limits of life, habitability, and biosignature detection.

This session welcomes presentations on all aspect of the Venus system including interior, surface, atmosphere and ionosphere. We welcome presentations based on past or current observations, theory and modelling, as well as presentations related to future instruments and missions including the ESA-NASA proposed EnVision Venus orbiter and NASA Discovery Venus missions.

Earth analogues are natural field sites with conditions that resemble one or more conditions found in planetary bodies. The importance of those extreme sites are crucial for study limits of life, habitability and for the space missions tools and techniques test before flying. Those extreme sites can be interpreted as natural laboratories. This session also welcomes abstracts on scientific investigations in planetary analogues fieldwork that are being carried out with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) a.k.a. drones.

Shape, gravity field, orbit, tidal deformation, and rotation state are fundamental geodetic parameters of any planet, satellite, asteroid, or comet. Measurements of these parameters are prerequisites for e.g. spacecraft navigation and mapping from orbit, but also for modelling of the interior and evolution of the object. This session welcomes contributions from all aspects of planetary geodesy, including the relevant theories, observations and models.

Space missions have provided a wealth of data on the atmospheres and aeronomy of rocky planets and moons, from the lower layers up to the external envelopes in direct contact with the solar wind. A recent emerging finding is evidence that the atmosphere behaves as a single coherent system with complex coupling between layers.

This session solicits contributions that investigate processes at work (chemistry, energetics, dynamics, electricity, escape etc...) on Venus, Mars, and Titan and includes studies of the coupling between the lower/middle and upper atmospheres. Contributions based on analysis of recent spacecraft and ground-based observations, comparative planetology studies, numerical modelling and relevant laboratory investigations are particularly welcome. The session will consist of invited and contributed oral talks as well as posters.

The set of known and suspected ocean worlds continues to expand, leading to intense interest in their viability as potential habitats that may be or may have been inhabited. Previous missions such as Cassini-Huygens, Galileo and New Horizons provide a major incentive for future exploration of the icy Galilean satellites with Europa Clipper and JUICE. Understanding ocean worlds and preparing for their exploration requires input from a variety of scientific disciplines: planetary geology and geophysics (including active processes, e.g. plumes), atmospheric physics, life sciences, magnetospheric environment, space weathering, as well as supporting laboratory studies, preparatory studies for future missions and technology developments in instrumentation and engineering. We welcome abstracts that span the full breadth of disciplines that apply to the icy moons in the outer Solar System with potential liquid oceans underneath, and their exploration.

The past few years have witnessed great advances in the computational simulations of impacts in planetary systems. These advances have played fundamental roles in reshaping models of planet formation, especially the formation of terrestrial planets and their compositions. For instance, more accurate simulations of giant impacts have enabled terrestrial planet formation models to branch away from the traditional perfect-merging scenario and have placed them on the path to becoming quantitative (and, therefore, predictive). Also, recent ideas on the early instabilities in our solar system have opened a new pathway to adopting more realistic initial conditions for the formation of our terrestrial planets and the origin of their chemical compositions. Collectively all these advances have also paved the way for extending new models of terrestrial planet formation to other planetary systems. The goal of this session is to address the above-mentioned topics through a combination of invited and contributed talks (as well as poster presentations). We will be happy to receive and welcome abstracts for oral and poster contributions in all areas related to theoretical, observational and experimental studies of terrestrial planet formation in our solar system and extrasolar planets.

New modelling efforts supported by observations of space probes like Mars Express or Cassini have improved our understanding of physical and chemical processes of moon formation in the Solar System. Modeling of formation has been extensively developed but several aspects are still uncertain. For instance, models of the origin of the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos are still debated. The evolution of the icy moons of giant planets is still puzzling. It motivates new mission like the NASA’s Europa Clipper and ESA’S JUICE missions to the Jovian system, as well as the JAXA’s MMX mission to the Martian system. The MMX mission will collect samples from Phobos (first sample return mission from the Martian system) and engage in a close-range exploration of Deimos too. Amongst their objectives the JUICE and Europa missions will focus on the interior of Galilean satellites and on the Jovian environment and its link with the moon system.
These missions will provide further data to answer the fundamental question how moons in our solar system formed.
The session invites contributions related to current knowledge and understanding of formation processes of solar system satellites as well as related to current missions in development, like MMX, Eurpa-Clipper or JUICE, and their approach to further our understanding of formation and evolution of natural satellites.

This session aims at understanding deep interiors and atmospheres of solar system bodies and massive extra-solar planets, their associated internal processes and corresponding material behaviour at extreme pressures and temperatures. These will have important implications for structural models (e.g. location of layer boundaries), evolution scenarios (e.g. demixing phenomena, diffusion), and magnetic field generation (e.g. nonmetal-metal transitions). This session also bridges the geophysical knowledge of bodies in the Solar System to rocky exoplanets by considering the potentially observable signatures associated with geologically-active worlds. Potentially fruitful targets are molten or volcanically-active planets, where the atmosphere and interior are tightly coupled through the exchange of heat and mass.

The session will include solicited and contributed papers addressing observational, laboratory, and theoretical studies of matter under planetary interior conditions.

Included subtopics are:
(1) Ab initio simulations and laboratory studies for matter under extreme conditions
(2) Interior structure, composition, and evolution
(3) Equation of state, melting, and phase transformation at extreme states
(4) Volcanism and magma ocean modeling
(5) Novel observational signatures of active worlds

Giant planets are recognised to greatly influence their host environment by shaping their natal disk, the architecture of planetary systems and the distribution of small bodies. In the Solar System, giant planets are also the hosts of systems of rings and moons, some of the latter being a target for upcoming space missions.

Despite several decades of theoretical investigations and rapid recent progress, some major questions remain regarding the formation and dynamical evolution of giant planets and their moons.
- How much solid material is accreted by a giant planet?
- How fast is the gaseous envelope accreted?
- What is the response of the protoplanetary disc to the formation of a giant planet in terms of migration, gap formation and the distribution of dust/planetesimals.
- What can regular and irregular moons tells us about the history of their hosts?

This session welcomes all abstracts with a focus on the formation and dynamical evolution of systems of giant planets and their moons, from theoretical or observational perspective.

Science communicators have an increasingly broad range of tools for reaching diverse audiences, including social media, podcasting, vlogging or mixed/interactive media, as well as more traditional approaches such as public talks, experiments, science festivals, articles or books for both younger and adult audiences. However, widening participation and engaging with under-represented communities can remain a challenge. What lessons can be learned from experiences within different communities? How can we tailor outreach efforts to connect with traditionally under-represented or under-resourced groups? How can limited resources be put to the most effective use? How can we measure the short-term outcomes and long-term impacts of outreach activities? This session is aimed at exploring how planetary science can utilise both novel and rising traditional modes of science communication to engage with a broad range of communities and how the impact of these activities can be evaluated.

Planetary accretion, giant collisions, core formation, magma-ocean crystallization and other important processes during the early days of the solar system set the stage for the long-term evolution of terrestrial planets. These early processes can happen simultaneously or in recurring stages, and are ultimately followed by progressive crustal growth, long-term mantle mixing/differentiation, core-mantle interaction, as well as inner-core crystallization. Indeed, the coupled early and long-term evolution shapes the present-day structure and thermal state of planetary interiors. We seek to gain a better understanding of the formation and evolution of terrestrial bodies by bringing together studies from geophysics, geodynamics, mineral physics, geochemistry, and petrology.
This session welcomes contributions focused on data analysis, modeling and experimental work that address the formation and evolution of terrestrial planets and moons in the Solar System, and around other stars.