A Diversity of Worlds: Origins of Structure in Planetary Systems

Astronomers have now found several thousand confirmed and likely planets orbiting stars other than the Sun. Most of these worlds are quite different from Earth and the solar system's other planets. However, discovery of true solar system analogs still strains the capabilities of current detection technologies. Prof. Murray-Clay will discuss what astronomers currently know about whether or not planetary systems like our own are rare in the universe. She will also describe how planetary systems form and demonstrate how the physical processes at work during planet formation can produce a diversity of worlds.

Speaker: Ruth Murray-Clay, UC Santa Cruz