Toward a Unified Framework for Giant Planet Demographics
May 5, 2026 4:15 - 4:45 pm
- Sponsor
- Department of Astronomy
- Speaker
- Dr. Jiayin Dong
- Contact
- Daniel Franco
- danielf9@illinois.edu
- Phone
- 217-300-6769
- Originating Calendar
- Astronomy Colloquium Speaker Calendar
Giant planets in the Solar System orbit beyond the water ice line on nearly circular orbits, while exoplanetary giant planets span periods from days to years and exhibit a wide range of eccentricities. What physical processes produce this diversity? I will present an overview of giant planets across orbital separations, drawing on recent TESS discoveries and ground-based follow-up observations. I will discuss evidence that planet-planet scattering may play a central role in shaping giant-planet architectures, assess how well this framework explains the observed population, and highlight key open questions for future observations and theory.