The new frontier in exoplanet research is the characterization of low-mass exoplanets now that their masses and radii are routinely measured. With these observations, the first task is to determine their composition, as it is the gateway into understanding the planet’s physical properties and formation. I will discuss what we have learned in terms of their composition and how it can inform us about the formation history. In particular, I will focus on the rocky super-Earths, because these planets pose a problem without major compositional degeneracies. In particular, there seems to be a greater diversity in iron to magnesium ratios in planets than in stars. Formation theories favour giant impacts as the likely source for diversity. I will discuss results from planet formation simulations that aim at determining the amount of compositional variety in super-Earths.
EPL hosts weekly scientific seminars on Mondays and Thursdays that cover the broad range of topics studied on our campus. These seminars are designed for a scientific audience and have limited space, so we are not advertising the Zoom links publically. However, you're still welcome to join!
Just email Alycia Alexander (adalexander@carnegiescience.