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W. D. Cochran (U. Texas)
After many years of intensive efforts, Jovian-mass companions have finally been found around other solar-type stars. We now know of many more planets outside of our own solar system than within it. However, none of these newly discovered extra-solar planetary systems look very much like ours. Is this merely the result of selection effects, or are we living in an unusual system? The recent discoveries will be summarized, and their ensemble properties examined. Physical properties of stars with and without Jovian mass companions will be compared. Several theoretical explanations of the formation and early dynamical evolution of these systems will be discussed, in an effort to gain a better understanding of the physics of planetary system formation.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: wdc@shiraz.as.utexas.edu