Abstract

Exoplanet demographic surveys provide a unique window into planet formation and evolution. In this talk, I will showcase three distinct features in the exoplanet population and offer theoretical interpretation of the physical mechanisms that sculpt them. I will first highlight what recent measurements extending the exoplanetary census beyond the solar neighborhood can tell us about how planet formation has evolved over cosmic time. Second, I will explore the origins of “desert dweller” planets that reside deep in the “sub-Jovian desert” (2 < Rp < 10 R_Earth, periods < 3 days), a region sparsely populated but no longer empty thanks to recent surveys. I will show that “desert dwellers” may serve as laboratories to study the fate of hot Jupiters and the interiors of giant planets in exquisite detail. Lastly, I will discuss the role atmospheric photoevaporation plays in carving the orbital period distribution of puffy, gas-rich sub-Saturns; in this picture, the sub-Saturn orbital period distribution can be leveraged to estimate a fundamental property of the planet population – the core mass function of gas-rich planets. I will outline the observational implications of our theoretical work throughout the talk.