Ben investigates the atmospheric composition of hydrogen dominated gas giant exoplanets. Understanding the gas phase chemistry is crucial in determining the dynamical and thermal structure of the atmosphere as the composition determines the opacity, mean molecular weight and heat capacity. In addition, to predict the chemical properties of the clouds that may form in such atmospheres we must first understand the chemical makeup of the gas from which those cloud particles condense. In particular, Ben focuses on improving the consistency between the tightly-coupled dynamical, radiative and chemical processes in both 1D and 3D atmosphere models. This has led to the development of a new set of flexible chemistry routines within the Met Office UM, including a chemical equilibrium scheme, a chemical relaxation scheme and a chemical kinetics scheme. At the moment, these new schemes are being applied to study the effect of wind-driven advection on the carbon chemistry (CH4 and CO) of hot Jupiter atmospheres. Ben is currently in a permanent position at the UK Met Office.
