New explanation for planetary system formation
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.022565
Science : To date, 307 extrasolar planets have been discovered and 29 multiple-planet systems have been discovered. The masses of the planets range from a few Earth masses up to several Jupiter masses, with orbital periods ranging from slightly over 1 day to several years. Unlike in our solar system, the orbital eccentricities of the extrasolar gas giant-sized planets may be large. In Science magazine, Edward W. Thommes, Soko Matsumura and Frederic A. Rasio describe how the range of periods, the eccentricities, and the diversity of the planetary systems have challenged the theories of planet formation , and propose an explanation--in terms of properties of the protoplanetary gas disk--of how this diversity may arise.
