Abstract:  The obliquity of a planet, the tilt between its spin and orbital axes, is important to understanding both the evolutionary history and the interior and atmospheric dynamics of the planet. In our own Solar System, the 98 degree obliquity of Uranus is hypothesized to be the result of giant impacts during its formation, and the 4 and 26 degree obliquities of Jupiter and Saturn are thought to be the result of spin-orbit resonances due to the gravitational influence of Uranus and Neptune respectively. While there have been few direct measurements of the obliquities of exoplanets, there are prospects for better constraints on exoplanetary obliquities in the coming years. In this talk, I will describe some mechanisms by which exoplanetary obliquities can be excited in a variety of system architectures. In particular, I will present some new results on the rich dynamics resulting from the interaction between tides and spin-orbit resonances in multi-planetary systems. I will use these results to assess the prospects of substantially oblique exoplanets in a few important systems of interest.

Host: Bekki Dawson

Please click the link to join the webinar: https://psu.zoom.us/s/98744005110