Lectures
Lectures
Last update: 2019/08/21
Dr. Konstantin Batygin (Caltech)
LECTURE 1: Core nucleated accretion theory of giant planet formation
Abstract:A defining characteristic of the solar system’s planetary album is the presence of gas giants―Jupiter and Saturn. Possessing the dominant share of the solar system’s angular momentum budget, it is firmly established that the formation and early evolution of this pair of objects is deeply implicated in shaping the solar system’s remarkable present-day architecture. Furthermore, over the past quarter century,spectroscopic and photometric surveys have discovered extrasolar analogues of Jupiter and Saturn in large abundance, occupying a remarkably diverse range of orbital architectures. How do these giant planets form? In this lecture, we will cover the main attributes of the core-nucleated accretion theory of planet formation, and discuss avenues for continued development of this paradigm.LECTURE 2: Angular momentum evolution of giant planets and the hot Jupiter radius inflation problem
Abstract:Within the general framework of the core-nucleated accretion theory of giant planet formation, the conglomeration of massive gaseous envelopes is facilitated by a transient period of rapid accumulation of nebular material. While the concurrent build-up of angular momentum is expected to leave newly formed planets spinning at near-breakup velocities, Jupiter and Saturn, as well as super-Jovian long-period extrasolar planets, are observed to rotate well below criticality. In this lecture, we will discuss how the large luminosity of a young giant planet simultaneously leads to the generation of a strong planetary magnetic field, as well as thermal ionization of the circumplanetary disk, yielding efficient magnetic braking of planetary rotation. In addition, we will examine a related physical mechanism ― Ohmic dissipation ― which plays a key role in maintaining inflated radii of close-in extrasolar planets.LECTURE 3: Chaos and long-term dynamical evolution of planetary systems
Abstract: Over the last three decades, evidence has mounted that the centuries-old question concerning the dynamical stability of the solar system has a straight-forward, definitive answer: with a probability of ~1%, the inner solar system may gravitationally unravel on a timescale comparable to the remaining main-sequence lifetime of the Sun. Concurrently, as the orbital distribution of extrasolar planets began to surface, it had become clear that dynamical instability is a generic process that plays a central role in shaping the architecture of planetary systems. In this lecture, we will present an overview of chaotic phenomena in planetary systems and discuss simple models for the origins of stochasticity in the planetary N-body problem.Prof. Patrick Brady (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
LECTURE: Cosmic collisions - progress and prospects for gravitational-wave astronomy
Abstract: The observation of mergers of black holes and neutron stars has established gravitational-wave astronomy as powerful tool to understand the Universe. After a brief introduction to gravitational waves and how the detectors work, I will discuss the insights that have come from the events identified thus far by the LIGO and Virgo Collaborations. In particular, I will discuss merger rate estimates, what we know about the mass distributions of compact binary systems, and what we have learned from multi-messenger observations of binary mergers. I will finish with a discussion of current observing run and what we can expect over the next few years.- Lecture 1:
introduction to gravitational waves and their detection. - Lecture 2:
how gravitational waves carry information about black holes, neutron stars and the universe. - Lecture 3:
what has been learned from gravitational wave observations and what we will learn in the future.