"What would happen to an Earth plant if it were just left out in the harsh Martian environment?"
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Seminar Detail
Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems: Placing Our Habitable Solar System in Context
Presenter: Michael Meyer
September 26, 2005 11:00 AM Pacific
Over the past 10 years abundant evidence has emerged that many (if not
all) stars are born with circumstellar disks. Understanding the
evolution of disks can provide strong constraints on theories of
planet formation. While concensus is emerging concerning the
early evolution of accretion disks (tau < 10 Myr) and the
characterization of older debris disks (tau > 1 Gyr) continues at a
rapid pace, little is known about the transition between these two
extremes thought to occur during the epoch of planet formation.
Recent studies undertaken with ground and space-based observatories
are helping to address questions concerning the evolution of disks
around sun-like stars. We will review recent results from these programs,
and compare them to models for the evolution of our own solar system.
This comparison sheds light on whether solar systems like our own
(and the potential for life that such systems represent) are common or
rare among the ensemble of sun-like stars in the disk of the Milky Way.Participation Instructions
December 21, 2007
