I will introduce the resonant chains: ~10 planetary systems with 2-body and 3-body resonances among the planets. Gas giants, sub-Neptunes, super-Earths, and terrestrials all belong to such chains. TRAPPIST-1 is the most famous, and transit and Doppler surveys are adding to this elite family of complex systems at about one per year. Secondly, I will explain the scientific pay-offs awaiting the discovery of exomoons, and some recent explorations of their dynamics. For both of these architectures, tidal dissipation should observably shape the distribution: Will chains remain in resonance or spread out? Will exomoons stay bound or get ripped off or tidally decay? Measuring and putting upper limits on that dissipation gives us our first chance to constrain the material properties inside sub-Neptune planets.

Speaker: Daniel Fabrycky (University of Chicago)

All 2023 Spring Colloquium talks are held on Wednesdays at 3:00 PM.  You may join the colloquium in person at STScI’s John N. Bahcall Auditorium or virtually or at the links listed below. 

• Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/STScILiveScienceEvents
• Live Captioning Link: https://www.streamtext.net/player?event=STSI-ColloqiumSeries

Please direct questions or comments to contact above. The Spring Colloquium Committee members are: JHU Members: Kevin Schlaufman, Co-Chair, Ethan Vishniac, Arshia Jacob and STScI Members: Joel Green, Co-chair, Armin Rest, Co-chair and Andreea Petric.