Tuve Lecture: Dr. Rebekah Dawson
Abstract: Over the past couple decades, thousands of extra-solar planets have been discovered orbiting other stars. The exoplanets discovered to date exhibit a wide variety of orbital and compositional properties; most are dramatically different from the planets in our own Solar System. Our classical theories for the origins of planetary systems fail to account for the diversity of planets now known. In this talk, Dr. Dawson will discuss how multifaceted views of planetary systems — including orbital properties, system architectures, planetary compositions, and stellar properties — powerfully test theories for the origins and evolution of planetary systems. Dr. Dawson will present results from simulations, comparisons to observed exoplanet populations and individual systems, and avenues for testing theories with ongoing and upcoming missions and surveys.
