Institute of Astronomy

Evolution of Planetary Systems

SpeakerTalk DateTalk Series
Alessandro Morbidelli28 July 2014Across HR 2014 Talks

Abstract

A planetary system typically does not reach its final structure as soon as its planets are formed. It can significantly evolve, due to processes such as planet migration and planet instabilities. Planet migration mostly happens while there is still gas in the protoplanetary disk, but significant orbital changes are nevertheless possible after the removal of the gas, due to the interaction between planets and planetesimals. Planet instabilities can happen at any time. The study of the Solar System provides an example of how rich the post-formation evolution of a planetary system can be. I will review our current understanding of the Solar System evolution, then discuss which variants could explain the wide diversity observed among extrasolar systems.

Presentation