Professor Nadege Meunier
University of Grenoble
Stellar variability strongly affects radial measurements and as a consequence limits the detectability and mass characterization of low mass planets with radial velocity techniques. After introducing this challenge, I will present the stellar processes (magnetic activity, photospheric flows at different temporal and spatial scales) affecting radial velocity measurements and then the approach we have developed: we have used our very good knowledge of solar activity to produce a large amount of realistic synthetic time series for other solar-type stars. I will show how this approach allowed us to estimate the amplitude of the signal due to this process, to understand better some limitations in mitigating techniques, and then to estimate the performance of Earth-like planet in the habitable zone detections.