Date:
Tue, 26/01/201012:30-13:30
Location:
Kaplun Bldg, seminar room, 2nd floor
Predicting the properties of outer extrasolar planetary systems
Most extrasolar planets detected to date orbit within a few AU of their host stars, interior to the orbit of Jupiter in the Solar Systems. These planets generically have eccentric (and sometimes inclined) orbits, indicative of dynamical excitation due to planetary scattering events or gas disk interactions. I will discuss why the dynamics of planets at larger orbital radii (beyond Jupiter) may be qualitatively
different, due to the increased importance of small bodies in disks akin to the Solar System's Kuiper Belt. I will show results from an unprecedentedly large set of N-body simulations that aim to predict the statistical properties of typical outer planetary systems.
Most extrasolar planets detected to date orbit within a few AU of their host stars, interior to the orbit of Jupiter in the Solar Systems. These planets generically have eccentric (and sometimes inclined) orbits, indicative of dynamical excitation due to planetary scattering events or gas disk interactions. I will discuss why the dynamics of planets at larger orbital radii (beyond Jupiter) may be qualitatively
different, due to the increased importance of small bodies in disks akin to the Solar System's Kuiper Belt. I will show results from an unprecedentedly large set of N-body simulations that aim to predict the statistical properties of typical outer planetary systems.