Mahesh Herath

My research interests are on the characterization and detection of Exoplanets. One of my current projects is on studying the nature of rocky Exoplanet interiors. Specifically, I'm investigating the optimal conditions necessary to produce a magnetic field that could sustain an atmosphere. If we could quantify the type of rocky planets that can have geomagnetism, it would facilitate the process of pinpointing potentially habitable Exoplanets. I'm also looking into how internal planetary activity could affect external planetary characteristics, so that planetary interiors can be studied more accurately through long distance observations. Additional projects include data mining the Kepler/TESS archives to look for planetary signals.