The (Un)Lonely Planet Guide: Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems from a `Blue Dots' Perspective

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent progress and ongoing challenges in understanding planetary system formation and evolution within the Blue Dots initiative, emphasizing the need for targeted observational programs to test fundamental scientific hypotheses.

Contribution

It summarizes recent successes and highlights remaining challenges in planetary system studies, proposing observational strategies to advance understanding.

Findings

Progress in understanding planetary formation is accelerating.

Key observational programs can test fundamental hypotheses.

Design reference missions are still under development.

Abstract

In this contribution I summarize some recent successes, and focus on remaining challenges, in understanding the formation and evolution of planetary systems in the context of the Blue Dots initiative. Because our understanding is incomplete, we cannot yet articulate a "design reference mission" engineering matrix suitable for an exploration mission where success is defined as obtaining a spectrum of a potentially habitable world around a nearby star. However, as progress accelerates, we can identify observational programs that would address fundamental scientific questions through hypothesis testing such that the null result is interesting.