title: The science of exoplanets and their systems.
abstract: A scientific forum on "The Future Science of Exoplanets and Their Systems," sponsored by Europlanet and the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) and co-organized by the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH) of the University of Bern, was held during December 5 and 6, 2012, in Bern, Switzerland. It gathered 24 well-known specialists in exoplanetary, Solar System, and stellar science to discuss the future of the fast-expanding field of exoplanetary research, which now has nearly 1000 objects to analyze and compare and will develop even more quickly over the coming years. The forum discussions included a review of current observational knowledge, efforts for exoplanetary atmosphere characterization and their formation, water formation, atmospheric evolution, habitability aspects, and our understanding of how exoplanets interact with their stellar and galactic environment throughout their history. Several important and timely research areas of focus for further research efforts in the field were identified by the forum participants. These scientific topics are related to the origin and formation of water and its delivery to planetary bodies and the role of the disk in relation to planet formation, including constraints from observations as well as star-planet interaction processes and their consequences for atmosphere-magnetosphere environments, evolution, and habitability. The relevance of these research areas is outlined in this report, and possible themes for future ISSI workshops are identified that may be proposed by the international research community over the coming 2-3 years.
authors.affiliation: 1 Space Research Institute , Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria .
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lammer
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blanc
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Benz
authors.forename: Malcolm
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fridlund
authors.forename: Vincent Coudé du
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Foresto
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Güdel
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rauer
authors.forename: Stephane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Udry
authors.forename: Roger-Maurice
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bonnet
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falanga
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Charbonneau
authors.forename: Ravit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Helled
authors.forename: Willy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kley
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Linsky
authors.forename: Linda T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Elkins-Tanton
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Alibert
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chassefière
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Encrenaz
authors.forename: Artie P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Hatzes
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Rene
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liseau
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lorenzen
authors.forename: Sean N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Raymond
mesh_terms: D018534:Earth, Planet; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D016083:Planets; D055609:Stars, Celestial