3:30–4:30 pm ERC 161
Leslie Rogers (UChicago) "Deciphering the Nature, Origins, and Compositions of Exoplanets"
With JWST and TESS now returning data, the study of exoplanets is about to explode as newly discovered worlds will reach the tens-of-thousands. My research program works at the intersection between physics, astronomy, planetary science, geoscience, and statistics to interpret this bounty of new data and thereby constrain planet formation theories, place our Solar System within a broader astrophysical context, and reveal the prevalence and characteristics of Earth-like planets around other stars. To pursue these goals, we advance models for the interior structure and evolution of exoplanets and develop statistical frameworks to connect theory and observations. In this talk, I will present recent results from my group aimed at understanding the rich physics governing planet interior structure and evolution, at discovering bulk composition trends in the growing census of known exoplanets, and at connecting these composition trends back to distinct planet formation pathways.
Reception: Hubble Lounge (ERC 501)
