Physics Main Calendar

Planet Formation and Evolution Through a Statistical Lens

Feb 5, 2026   3:45 - 4:45 pm  
Astronomy Building
Credit Sarah Blunt and Brendan Bowler
Sponsor
Department of Astronomy
Speaker
Dr. Sarah J Blunt
Contact
Daniel Franco
E-Mail
danielf9@illinois.edu
Phone
217-300-6769
Originating Calendar
Astronomy Colloquium Speaker Calendar

As exoplanet science moves towards bigger, noisier datasets, smaller signals, and more complicated physical models, statistical inference is becoming more and more essential. In this talk, I’ll give a tour of my group’s work applying cutting-edge statistical methods in order to: 1) push the limits of exoplanet detection methods-- particularly radial velocity and astrometric methods-- expanding our understanding of what types of planets can exist;  2) look for patterns across populations of planets, informing theories about how planets form and evolve; and 3) maximize the utility of future data, particularly from the Gaia, Roman, and Habitable Worlds Observatories. I will also discuss my work on open-source software, highlighting the widely-used Bayesian orbit-fitting package orbitize! and the summer school Code/Astro.

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