Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies

Stellar, planetary, and galactic astrophysics traces the life cycles of stars from their formation in molecular clouds to their deaths as white dwarfs, neutron stars, or black holes, while also mapping how billions of such stars collectively shape the structure and chemical history of galaxies like the Milky Way. Surveys from missions such as Gaia and Kepler have dramatically expanded the census of exoplanets and stellar populations, making it possible to test models of planetary system formation across a wide range of stellar environments, including those around massive stars whose intense radiation fields challenge standard theories. Central open questions include how the diversity of observed planetary architectures arises from the same basic disk-formation physics, and how the exchange of material between stellar generations drives the gradual enrichment of galaxies with heavy elements over cosmic time.

Works

285,418

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4,049,989

Keywords

Stellar AstrophysicsExoplanetsGalactic EvolutionStellar EvolutionMilky WayGaia Mission