Observations over the last decade have revealed exoplanetary systems that are completely different from our own Solar System. These extreme planetary systems are changing our view of planetary formation. They raise many puzzles and require new theoretical works for their proper understanding. I will review some of the recent puzzles and discuss the possible physical processes at work in these systems.
Dong Lai is a Professor of Astrophysics. He received Ph.D. in physics from Cornell in 1994, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Caltech. He joined the faculty of the Astronomy Department at Cornell in 1997. His current research is in theoretical astrophysics, focusing on exoplanets, compact objects (neutron stars, black holes and white dwarfs), and astrophysical (fluid) dynamics in general.
Host: Yipeng Jing ypjing@sjtu.edu.cn