After the detection of the first planet outside of the Solar System orbiting a solar-type star in 1995, the study of exoplanets has undergone super-exponential growth. Though not involved in observational campaigns, the Astro group at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), comprised of both students and faculty, has significantly added to that field. Research contributions encompass exoplanets, exomoons, and exocomets, as well as studies of star-planet interactions. A highlight of the latter includes the prediction (which was later confirmed) that close-in Jupiters can increase stellar activity, a phenomenon that allows the measurement of planetary magnetic fields in selected systems. Studies of exoplanets and exomoons mostly concern analyses of orbital stability and habitability. Exocomets are relevant for the proliferation of water (among other substances) to terrestrial planets in stellar habitable zones. A very recent project concerns the study of planets in multiple star systems, both from a dynamical and statistical point of view.
Prof. Manfred Cuntz is a professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Texas at Arlington.