Tracing Planetary Systems Dynamics Across Stellar Lifetimes
DIPC Seminars
- Speaker
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Santiago Torres
Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) - When
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2025/11/12
14:00 - Place
- DIPC Josebe Olarra Seminar Room
- Host
- Nate Bastian
- Add to calendar
-
iCal
How planetary systems form and evolve around their host stars remains one of the most compelling yet unresolved questions in modern astrophysics. Recent observations continue to challenge existing theories, from the discovery of Hot Jupiters and their exomoons, to the diverse planetary architectures observed in young stellar systems, and the existence of planets around evolved stars. In order to interpret these observations and bridge the gap in our understanding of planetary system evolution, it is essential to advance theoretical and numerical models capable of linking their formation and evolution across the full stellar lifecycle. To build such models, we must consider not only the internal dynamics of planetary systems and the evolution of their host star, but also the influence of their birth environments. Because, planetary systems are not born in isolation, they form in stellar clusters where encounters with nearby stars leave long-lasting dynamical imprints. These early interactions shape the distribution of planets and small bodies, influencing their later evolution as the host star evolves and eventually becomes a white dwarf.
In this talk, I will first present my recent results on the dynamical evolution of planetary systems and debris disks under the combined influence of planets and stellar encounters within open clusters. These simulations reveal how planetary systems are shaped by their birth environments, leading to the formation of extended minor-body reservoirs such as Kuiper belts and Oort clouds, and even creating intercluster and interstellar objects. Building on these architectures, I will then discuss how such systems are later disrupted and reshaped as their host stars evolve into white dwarfs.