Giant branch systems: surveys and populations

Abstract

Despite the recent discoveries of planets orbiting stars at all evolutionary stages, the evolution of planetary systems remains poorly understood. Studying planetary systems around red giant branch stars can reveal how main sequence planetary systems can change and evolve into white dwarf systems over time. Decades of radial velocity and transit surveys have yielded the detection of hundreds of planets and planet candidates orbiting evolved stars. These planetary systems have provided important insights into understanding how planetary atmospheres and orbits can be disrupted by stellar evolution, potentially being restructured at late stages, and how planets can be eventually engulfed by their stars, possibly reborn as white dwarf planetary systems. Evolved star targets will reveal planet occurrence at the largest distances and most varied environments across the Galaxy.