Title: Status of Extrasolar Planets: Multiple Systems and Metallicities
Speaker: Debra Fischer
Abstract:
In the past 5 years more than 50 extrasolar planets have been
detected as companions to main sequence stars. The orbital
inclination in these sytems remains unresolved, however the
vast majority of these objects are expected to be jupiter-like
gas giant planets based on:
- the statistical rarity of nearly face-on orbits
- the observation of a planet transit for HD 209458
- a mass distribution that peaks strongly at the lowest
detectable msini
- upper mass limits set by dynamical stability constraints
in multiple planet systems.
I will present the current state of our observational understanding
of these systems including detection limits, sample characteristics,
orbit characteristics, occurrence of multiple planet systems and
metallicity correlations.
Reference for students:
Lunch with the students will be on Thursday, December 7th at 12:30 in A-101.