CAREER: The Formation and Disruption of Resonant Chains

NSF Award Search · 01002930DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT · $691,228 · view on nsf.gov ↗

Abstract

Within our Galaxy, planets form close-in (closer than the distance from the Sun to the Earth), multiple (sets of two or more), and low-mass (up to several Earth masses, as opposed to giant planets) around roughly 30% of stars like the Sun. It is possible that the majority of these types of planetary systems formed with orbital periods in sync with each other, and that these resonant chains settled at the inner edges of planet-forming gas disks. After the gas disk dissipates, these resonances could gradually be disrupted due to the growth of eccentricity and inclination, leading to collisions. This award combines cutting-edge observations, novel data analysis techniques, and rigorous numerical simulations to address the missing links in this emergent paradigm of planet formation. Broader impact in the state of Hawaii will be training programs for high-school through graduate students in scientific computing and other research tasks and education and public outreach to the local community. Data from ground-based telescopes in Hawaii and elsewhere will acquire new transit times and radial velocities to complement the space-based discovery and atmospheric characterization data for resonant chains. N-body simulations will be used to model the photometry, assess stability, and track planet formation including giant impacts. The state of resonant libration or circulation and the role of second-order and non-adjacent resonances in disrupting chains will be assessed. Whether the

Key facts

NSF award ID
2441950
Awardee
University of Hawaii (HI)
SAM.gov UEI
NSCKLFSSABF2
PI
Fei Dai
Primary program
01002930DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
All programs
CAREER-Faculty Erly Career Dev, THEORETICAL & COMPUTATIONAL ASTROPHYSICS, OBSERVATIONAL ASTRONOMY, EXP PROG TO STIM COMP RES
Estimated total
$691,228
Funds obligated
$525,733
Transaction type
Continuing Grant
Period
06/15/2025 → 05/31/2030