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4/28/16: SO/NOAO Joint Colloquium Series: Scott Tremaine, IAS

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Title: Three Problems in Exoplanet Dynamics

Abstract:
(i) Are exoplanet systems flat? Laplace argued, correctly, that the small inclinations of planetary orbits implied that the solar system formed from a flat disk. I will review the direct and circumstantial evidence on whether extrasolar planetary systems are also flat and discuss the implications for planet formation.

(ii) Where do warm Jupiters come from? The warm Jupiters---giant planets with orbital periods between 10 and 100 days---are almost three times as common as hot Jupiters with periods less than 10 days, yet are much more difficult to produce in standard migration-based models giant planet formation at small radii. I will describe a simple model that accounts for some, but not all, of the warm Jupiters.

(iii) Is statistical mechanics useful? The final or giant-impact stage of terrestrial planet formation involves multiple collisions among many planetary "embryos" on chaotic orbits. It is natural to ask whether the outcome of this process can be described using the powerful tools of statistical mechanics.

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