Extrasolar Planets: Constraints for Planet Formation Models
Nuno C. Santos,1,3*
Willy Benz,2
Michel Mayor3
Since 1995, more than 150 extrasolar planets have been discovered,
most of them in orbits quite different from those of the giant
planets in our own solar system. The number of discovered extrasolar
planets demonstrates that planetary systems are common but also
that they may possess a large variety of properties. As the
number of detections grows, statistical studies of the properties
of exoplanets and their host stars can be conducted to unravel
some of the key physical and chemical processes leading to the
formation of planetary systems.
2 Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
3 Observatoire de Genève, 51 chemin des Maillettes, 1290 Sauverny, Switzerland.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: nuno.santos{at}oal.ul.pt
