Evolution and Exploration of Solar Systems

Organized by David J. Stevenson and Maria Zuber

This colloquium was held January 5-6, 2007 at the Beckman Center in Irvine, CA. 

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 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 will bring 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 will include a synthesis of what we have learned from planetary exploration so far, as well as astronomical data and comparisons with Earth. This interdisciplinary meeting will showcase the latest results, and will also reflect where we stand and how this relates to the broader scientific community. The timing will allow us to discuss 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.