The Exoplanet Census: Using Surveys to Better Understand Planet Formation

We are now in the golden age of exoplanet discoveries. After a decade that delivered more than 500 exoplanets, the Kepler transit survey is on pace to discover 2000 planets. This wealth of planets offers unprecedented opportunities to statistically characterize the planet population and refine planet formation theories. I will describe a general method to determine the planet distribution function from exoplanet survey data. This method accounts for selection effects and the existence of multiple planets per system. Applying the technique to Kepler data reveals interesting trends in the size distribution of planets versus orbital period. I will describe the implications of these trends for the accretion and retention of atmospheres on Earth-sized planets