Charles Cadieux

Ph.D. Student, Université de Montréal

Charles Cadieux has completed his undergraduate studies in physics at Université de Montréal in May 2018 before joining the Trottier Institute for Research on Exoplanets (iREx) in September 2018 for a master’s degree under the supervision of Prof. René Doyon. His master’s thesis consisted of a photometric monitoring of planet candidates identified by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). This research was conducted at the Observatoire du Mont-Mégantic using the Planètes Extra-Solaires en Transit et Occulations (PESTO) camera, fully optimized for exoplanet transit observations. His work was recognized by the TESS Follow-up Observing Program (TFOP) and has in part led to the confirmation of several new exoplanets.

Charles is now pursuing a PhD in astrophysics at Université de Montréal, a program he started in September 2020 with Prof. René Doyon as supervisor. His work has now shifted towards the characterization of small temperate exoplanets orbiting low-mass stars. This study uses high-precision velocimetry from the near-infrared SPIRou spectropolarimeter mounted at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) to obtain the mass of exoplanets. The combination of mass and radius measurements is needed to determine the bulk composition of an exoplanet, whether it is made of rocky or volatile material, and to test various planet formation models. This project includes the development of data analysis tools for SPIRou, with the goal to participate in the SPIRou Legacy Survey (SLS) objectives of confirming multiple TESS planet candidates in the upcoming years.

Supervisor

René Doyon

Charles Cadieux
Ph.D. Student, Université de Montréal