Planetary Systems around White Dwarfs
by
Tsung-Dao Lee Institute/N6F-N600 - Lecture Room
Tsung-Dao Lee Institute
Host: Dong Lai
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Abstract:
Over the past decade, the study of extrasolar planets has revolutionized our understanding of planetary systems. We now know that planets are common and exhibit greater diversity than those in our solar system. This talk will focus on planetary systems around white dwarfs and how they provide insights into the full life cycle of planetary systems. In the first part, I will discuss our ongoing efforts to search for planetary transits around white dwarfs, including the discovery of one planet transit and several disintegrating asteroids and comets. In the second part, I will explore how 'polluted' white dwarfs and their debris disks can be used to infer the chemical and mineral compositions of extrasolar rocky planets. Together, we aim to develop a comprehensive understanding of planet formation, evolution, and eventual destruction.
Biography:
Dr. Siyi Xu earned her Ph.D. in Astronomy at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2014. Afterwards, Dr. Xu received a postdoc fellowship at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Garching, Germany. In 2017, she began her role as a tenure-track astronomer at the Gemini Observatory on the big island in Hawaii. Dr. Xu is now a tenured astronomer at Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab in Tucson. Dr. Xu is also a discipline scientist at the International Space Science Institute (ISSI), Bern, Switzerland.
