Matteo Brogi (University of Turin) - The next two decades of exoplanet science and the pivotal role of ground observatories

The next two decades of exoplanet science and the pivotal role of ground observatories

By the 2040s, exoplanet science is expected to routinely study the atmospheres of rocky temperate planets, which is both technically challenging and reliant on previous key scientific goals for the correct interpretations of results. In this talk I will show how current facilities from space and from the ground have opened up the sample-level study of gaseous exoplanets, with a particular focus on high-resolution, cross correlation spectroscopy (HRCCS). I will review the pivotal role of HRCCS when applied to the upcoming Extremely Large Telescope - under construction in Chile - especially for instruments coupling high spectral *and* spatial resolution. These will allow us to understand how planets tend to form and evolve, what shapes the transition between rocky and gaseous exoplanets, and what is the fraction of rocky planets actually retaining an atmosphere over geological times. Only by answering these broader questions will we be able to assess the likelihood of any putative measurement of biological markers, ultimately placing our Earth and the Solar System in context.