Exploring the Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems

de Brenda C. Matthews, James R. Graham, Mark Booth

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in our understanding of planetary systems. Initially, new exoplanets were discovered through the effects they have on their parent stars -- whether through radial velocity, transits or microlensing methods -- but now the technology and the techniques have been developed to image light from exoplanets directly. Vast improvements have also been made in our ability to resolve circumstellar matter from protoplanetary disks, through transition disks to debris disks. These dramatic new observations have led to new advances in our theoretical understanding of the formation and evolution of planetary systems. The proceedings of IAU Symposium 299 report on recent results of this field covering the range from the detailed imaging of protoplanetary disks to the modeling of planetary atmospheres. The volume benefits both active researchers and graduate students entering this dynamic and rapidly progressing field. -- Back cover.