While the exoplanetary field is replete with remarkable discoveries, perhaps the two most intriguing findings have been the detection of hot Jupiters – giant planets orbiting perilously close to their parent stars, and the startling abundance of super-Earths. The mere existence of these worlds was wholly unpredicted based on the expectations that were gleaned from centuries of observation of our own solar system. This talk will delve into the demographics and orbital architectures of these exoplanets. We will explore how the sheer variety of observed exoplanetary systems can be reconciled into a unified theoretical framework.
BIO
Dr. Songhu Wang is an Assistant Professor of Astronomy at Indiana University. He received his PhD from Nanjing University in China and further advanced his postdoctoral research as an inaugural 51 Pegasi b Fellow at Yale University. Dr. Wang's research is primarily focused on understanding the formation and evolution of planetary systems by characterizing their architecture and demographics. Throughout his career, Dr. Wang has secured over 1 million USD in PI grant support and has been granted over 100 nights of PI time on major telescopes, such as Keck, the Palomar 200 inch, and WIYN 3.5-m.
Host: Xuesong Wang
