Extrasolar Planets: Physics and Detection Techniques
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this course on the physics of exoplanets, covering planetary atmospheres and interiors as applied to worlds beyond our solar system. Lessons work through the physical processes behind observable exoplanet properties, then move into a quantitative treatment of detection techniques such as radial velocity and transit photometry. The course closes with an introduction to the search for Earth-like planets, biosignatures, and habitable conditions. Materials include MIT lecture notes, problem sets, and readings drawn from current research in planetary science, free to access through OCW with no certificate offered. Suited to students with a physics background who want the quantitative grounding behind exoplanet news headlines rather than a general survey.