Making Chemically Diverse Planets out of Average Galactic Material

Explore the fascinating science behind planetary chemical diversity in this 57-minute lecture by Professor Ruth Murray-Clay from UC Santa Cruz, presented at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. Discover how planets form with varied chemical compositions despite originating from disks containing elements similar to the average universe. Learn how Earth contains relatively little hydrogen despite it being the universe's most abundant element, and how groundbreaking observations from ALMA and JWST have transformed our understanding of protoplanetary disks. The talk covers the diverse compositions of exoplanets and our solar system's planets, connecting planet-forming environments with planetary chemistry. Professor Murray-Clay, holder of the E.K. Gunderson Family Chair in Theoretical Astrophysics and winner of the Helen B. Warner Prize, shares insights from her research on solar system formation, planetary systems, protoplanetary disk evolution, and atmospheric development.