Speaker: Geoff Marcy (University of California, Berkeley)
Date/Time: Monday, December 3, 2007 11:00 AM PST

The measured masses and orbits of the 200 secure exoplanets within 200 parsecs reveal the processes of formation and subsequent dynamics. (One parsec is the distance at which one astronomical unit subtends an angle of 1 second of arc.) Several planets reveal information on their cores and interiors. Multiple-planet systems, especially those in resonances, inform us about migration, scattering, and capture. Planets from 5-14 Earth masses are now detectable, and several have been found. The Kepler Mission and a new 2.4-m "Automated Planet Finder" telescope at Lick Observatory portend the detection of rocky planets.

For more information and connection information: http://nai.arc.nasa.gov/seminars/seminar_detail.cfm?ID=114

[Source: NAI Newsletter]