Konwersatorium im. Leopolda Infelda

Detections of both coherent and incoherent, non-thermal radio emission from exoplanets represent a direct way to study their magnetic fields. For example, time-frequency mapping of radio flares generated by the cyclotron maser mechanism can be used to constrain the planet’s magnetic field topology and use it to infer the nature of the dynamo mechanism. In addition, because magnetic fields protect planets from stellar winds and flares, detecting and characterizing exoplanetary fields would obviously inform the investigations of planetary habitability. I will discuss the ongoing efforts to detect the flaring and the quiescent radio emission from the coolest brown dwarfs and giant exoplanets. In particular, I will present the most recent detections of flares from two T-type brown dwarfs with the Arecibo radio telescope. These detections suggest that the same should be possible for hot, young exoplanets such as the recently discovered HR8799 system.