Events in Physics
Dimitri Veras (University of Cambridge)
Location: PS017a
Speaker: Dimitri Veras (University of Cambridge)
Title: The Great Escape from Dying Binary Stars and White Dwarfs
Abstract: Extrasolar planets and belts of debris orbiting post-main-sequence single stars may become unbound as the evolving star loses mass. The presence of a binary companion significantly complicates the prospects for orbital excitation and escape. Here, I explore planetary evolution during the post-main sequence, with an emphasis on circumbinary systems. I discuss the implications for the vast free-floating planet population estimated to exist in the Milky Way, the potential pollution of white dwarfs, and the future of the Solar System.