Speaker: Sarah Millholland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract: Many exoplanetary systems contain planets orbiting close to their host stars, with orbital periods of only days to weeks. These planets experience strong tidal forces that can reshape both their orbits and their interiors. Energy dissipation by time-dependent tidal deformations can drive orbital migration and heat planetary interiors, producing potentially observable signatures. In this talk, I will explore several outstanding puzzles in the demographics of short-period exoplanets and show how tidal evolution offers compelling explanations. I will also highlight how new observations with JWST can help test these tidal theories.