4 June 2025: Richard Nelson

Speaker: Richard Nelson (Queen Mary University of London)

Date: Wednesday 4 June 2025

Time: 13:00 (note time change)

Location: Physics 3.34

Recent developments in the theory of planet migration

Observations of exoplanets demonstrate that planetary systems are highly diverse in terms of masses, radii and orbital architectures. A major scientific challenge is to understand how the observed exoplanet demographics emerged due to formation and evolution processes. The orbital migration of planets, through angular momentum exchange with their protoplanetary discs, is a key component of planet formation theories. However, research shows that both the speed and direction of migration are sensitive to assumptions about the underlying disc physics. In this talk, I will present recent work that examines how including a realistic treatment of the disc thermodynamics changes the migration behaviour of super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. Given that these are the most commonly observed types of exoplanets, the results have important implications for understanding the observed exoplanet population.