Denys Wilkinson Building, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH
Professor Ruth Angus
American Museum of Natural History, an Associate Research Scientist at the Flatiron Institute's Center for Computational Astrophysics and an Assistant Adjunct Professor at Columbia University.
Abstract
We have now detected thousands of planetary systems but we still know little about how planets evolve over time. For example, how quickly and under what circumstances do planetary atmospheres erode? How frequently do planetary systems become dynamically unstable? How does the changing magnetic activity of a star influence the habitability of a planet? These questions remain unanswered for one main reason: the ages of stars are difficult to measure. There are many methods for measuring stellar ages but rotation-dating, also known as 'gyrochronology', seems to be unparalleled for cool main-sequence stars. In this talk I will describe the state of stellar age measurement, the potential of gyrochronology, and the promise and pitfalls of combining different dating methods. I will outline prospects for measuring both the ages and rotation periods of stars across the Galaxy using current and future surveys on the ground and in space. Finally, I'll discuss what we already know about the evolution of planetary systems, and what's left to discover.