Research in Planet Formation
Introduction
At the present time there have been approximately 115 planets discovered
in orbit around nearby sun-like stars. These planets are thought to
be gas-giants like Jupiter and Saturn in our own solar system. However,
unlike our own solar system, many of these extrasolar giant planets have short
period orbits, and/or eccentric orbits. The discovery of planets outside
of our own solar system, and the realisation that they come in
`all shapes and sizes' has led to an increased interest in the theory
of how planetary systems form and evolve. The planet formation group in the
Astronomy Unit, Queen Mary, University of London is at the heart of
scientific efforts to understand the physical processes involved
in planet formation, and the development of models to explain
the current data on extrasolar planets.
Current Projects
Projects that I am currently working on include:
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