Evolution and Exploration of Solar Systems
Organized by David J. Stevenson and Maria Zuber
January 5-6, 2007
Irvine, CA
Meeting Overview:
The past decade has been a remarkable period in solar system exploration and the emerging appreciation of other solar systems. We have come to recognize the extraordinary character of "planetary systems" (satellites and Kuiper belt bodies) within our own solar system, the diverse environments affected by water and other fluids, the nature of planetary materials and processes that shape formation and evolution, and the bridging of a previously large gap between planetary science and astronomy.
This colloquium brought together the planetary and astronomical community and provide a forum for discussion and assessment of our current understanding of the nature of our solar system and a comparison with other planetary systems. This included a synthesis of what we have learned from planetary exploration so far, as well as astronomical data and comparisons with Earth. This interdisciplinary meeting showcased the latest results including discussions of the new Mars results (MRO),well digested Spitzer and Cassini results, Stardust results, other missions activity and many interesting ground-based results as well as a number of interesting theoretical and modeling developments.
Video Available
Session I: Planetary Exploration
David Stevenson, California Institute of Technology
Opening Remarks
Cassini and the Rings of Saturn
Carolyn Porco, Space Science Institute
Titan: Where does the methane come from and where does it go?
Jonathan Lunine, University of Arizona
Small Icy Moons
Torrence Johnson, Jet Propulsion Lab
Stardust and the Nature of Comets
Don Brownlee, University of Washington
Session II: Astronomical Window on Planets
Astrometry and the Search for Extrasolar Planets
Deborah Fisher, San Francisco State University
Transit Detection of Planets
David Charbonneau, Harvard University
Spitzer and Planet-Forming Disks
Michael R. Meyer, The University of Arizona
Kuiper Belt
David Jewitt, University of Hawaii
Keynote Lecture Planets and Life
Andrew Knoll, Harvard University
Saturday, January 6, 2007
Session III: Water in the Solar System
Meteorites and Volatile reservoirs
Laurie Leshin, Goddard Space Flight Center
Water and Early Mars
Steven Squyres, Cornell University
Water and Mars Evolution
Maria Zuber, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Europa and Oceans in Icy Satellites
Robert Pappalardo, University of Colorado
FYI: This presentation contains large video files and will take some time to download before the presentation begins streaming. Thank you for your patience.
Session IV: Putting It All Together
Terrestrial Planet Formation
John Chambers, Carnegie Institution of Washington
Geochemical Perspective on Planet Formation
Alex Halliday, University of Oxford
Giant Planet Formation
David Stevenson, California Institute of Technology
Making Moons
Robin Canup (Southwest Research Institute
Maria Zuber, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Closing Remarks
