Colloquium by Johanna Teske, Carnegie Earth & Planets Lab
The last decade of exoplanet exploration revealed a population of 1-3 Rearth planets, which we now know are the most common outcome of planet formation (within <100 d periods) in the Galaxy, yet are missing in our own Solar System, falling somewhere in between the terrestrials and giants. The bulk properties of these "super-Earths" and "sub-Neptunes" imply diminishingly thin envelopes, ranging from predominantly primordial atmospheres, to secondary atmospheres outgassed over time, to perhaps no atmospheres at all. How do these most-common planets form, what are they made of, how closely (or not) do they resemble Solar System planets? In this talk I will discuss how the community is addressing these questions, including the challenges and opportunities of different observational avenues. I will also highlight a two-part "concentric" survey I am co-leading using JWST and Magellan to measure small planet compositions in a statistically robust framework. Such population studies -- and importantly, how we construct them -- will help hone in on where we should focus future efforts as we move deeper into the era of exoplanet characterization, towards uncovering Earth-like conditions on other worlds.
Followed by wine and cheese.
Host: David Kipping