Evolution of the Inner Disk Rim Undergoing Episodic Accretion

This conference talk explores the evolution of the inner disk rim during episodic accretion events, presented by Michael Cecil from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy as part of the "Planets on the Edge" KITP conference held in May 2025. Discover how the inner regions of protoplanetary disks—where thousands of short-period exoplanets have been discovered by Kepler and TESS missions—evolve during variable accretion phases. Learn about the formation and evolution of Earth-sized planets in inner protoplanetary disks through this 21-minute presentation that addresses key questions: the nature of close-in rocky planets and their atmospheres, whether they form in situ or migrate inward, the parameters that vary between star systems, and why our Solar System lacks analogous planets. The talk contributes to the broader conference goals of synthesizing current knowledge about planets and inner disks, describing state-of-the-art formation models, fostering cross-disciplinary interactions, and charting future directions for observations, theory, and computational modeling.