CCA Seminar Series: Sean Raymond

Title: Building a diversity of planetary systems
Abstract: The past decade of exoplanet observations has confirmed one of humanity’s (and all teenagers’) worst fears: we are weird. Even though Jupiter is the only SolarSystem planet likely to be detected with present-day technology, the SolarSystem is quantifiably unusual among exoplanet systems at the ~1% level.Instead, at least half of main sequence stars host close-in “super-Earths”,and ~10% have Jupiters on non-Jupiter-like orbits. In this talkI will present the latest thinking in how the Solar System fits in a larger context of planetary system formation. I will use dynamical simulations of planet formation in different contexts to explain the diversity of observed planetary systems, and to understand the key bifurcation points that lead to that diversity. I will propose that Jupiter is likely to blame for our SolarSystem’s weirdness.

If you are interested in attending, please contact [email protected] at least 24 hrs in advance to be added to the guest list.