DAVID STEVENSON, CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

PRINCETON ASTRONOMY COLLOQUIUM - MARCH 15, 2005

ABSTRACT

Planetary Diversity

The central lesson from planetary exploration is that planets (including satellites) are remarkably diverse and resist a low-dimensional description of the kind often use in stellar physics (e.g., the HR diagram). I will discuss the origins of this diversity, especially the important roles of condensed matter physics, minor constituents (e.g. , water) and chance. I will also explain why the planets in our solar system may not be representative of the richness of possible planets in the universe, and what implications this may have for extrasolar planet search programs and the prevalence of life.