Insights from the Orbital Architectures of Planetary Systems

Malena Rice (Yale University)

April 18, 2024

–

Abstract: The orbital configurations of planetary systems serve as fossilized signatures of their past dynamical evolution. These signatures provide a direct window into planetary systems’ formation histories at both the individual and population level, constraining the prevalence of mechanisms such as migration, secular evolution, and short-term scattering events. I will discuss how the dynamic relationship between stars, planets, and minor planets can be examined to reveal clues about the underlying processes that produce the observed diversity of planetary systems. My talk will draw from the interconnected subfields of solar system and exoplanetary science.