Theses and Dissertations Collection

This dissertation summarizes my graduate research on exoplanets orbiting high-mass, rapidly-rotating stars using NASA's Kepler telescope. The overall theme of this research bridges exoplanet observations with existing planet formation and evolution theories with

the goal of constraining the mechanisms that cause spin-orbit misalignment. This phenomenon occurs surprisingly often around high-mass stars, suggesting that planet formation in these systems may be fundamentally different than for solar-type stars. And while many explanations have been put forth to explain spin-orbit misalignment, its root cause is still unknown. The research in this dissertation helps solve this problem by observing spin-orbit misalignment around high-mass stars and testing my findings against existing

misalignment hypotheses to shed light on the formation processes taking place around high-mass stars.