HEP-Astro Seminar | Planet Formation from a Dynamical Perspective: Using Theoretical Methods to Constrain and Understand the Outcomes of Planet Formation

Zoom link:
https://umich.zoom.us/j/91409362110?pwd=UDlja2FuYlZWVFNEMWFrOTlkWFNEZz09

Recent observational advances have allowed the discovery of thousands of exoplanets and an initial characterization of their orbital and physical parameters. As this population has grown, it is increasingly apparent that existing models of planet formation are incomplete. The Kepler/K2/TESS data have presented counterexamples to prevailing theories, including theories of hot Jupiter formation and how planets obtain their orbital inclinations. In this talk, I will present my work towards integrating these theories of planet formation with new astronomical discoveries. Resolving these conflicts requires not only a deep understanding of the current dynamical states of benchmark systems, but also an exploration of their histories through theoretical analysis expanding on the observational data. I will explain how theoretical models can give these needed constraints and determine the most probable formation pathways of these systems. As the number of known exoplanets approaches 5000 and individual systems are being more deeply characterized, we are entering a new era of exoplanet science where it will be possible to construct a coherent theory of planet formation; as I conclude my talk, I will outline the roadmap to this understanding.