18 October 2019,  11:00 h.

Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, Sala Seminari di Villa Magliola

Water World Galore

Dr. Li Zeng

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics / Department of Astronomy,
Harvard University, Cambridge (US)

Abstract

Exoplanet radii show a bimodal distribution, with two peaks corresponding to smaller planets (likely rocky) and larger intermediate-size planets, respectively. We apply interior structure model, growth model, as well as atmospheric escape model, and conduct Monte Carlo simulations, to demonstrate that many intermediate-size planets are water worlds. This result has profound implications on planet formation theory and origins of life.