The effects of binary companions on giant planet formation and evolution

While numerous exoplanets have now been uncovered in stellar binaries, the impact of companion stars on planet formation and evolution is still not well understood. In this talk, I will present results of population trends seen among the known sample of exoplanets in multiple star systems, which allows us to investigate the effects of stellar binarity on the resulting planetary architectures. In particular, observations of stars hosting high-mass, close-in giant planets and brown dwarfs find an excess of binary star companions on few hundred AU separations, suggesting that such systems may provide favourable conditions for the formation of the observed inner companions. I will also show results from simulations of circumstellar disks adapted to binary star environments, which indicate that certain binary configurations may indeed help trigger the formation of giant planets via gravitational fragmentation.