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How do planets evolve over time? Why are some planets gaseous, while others are barren rocks? My research group is tracing the properties of the young planet population to understand how these newly formed planets evolve into the mature-aged population found around nearly every Sun-like star. I will detail our young planet census conducted with the NASA TESS mission, highlighting differences between the young planet population and the mature-aged demographics that are indicative of early atmospheric evolution. I will also present early results from our HST programs searching for signatures of active mass loss in select young planetary systems. Together, these programs already have the power to distinguish between planet formation channels that are otherwise degenerate for mature planets. In the coming years, we aim to identify how some star-planet environments are suitable for terrestrial planets to retain atmospheres, while others have their atmospheres stripped away. |
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