We constrain the intrinsic architecture of Kepler planetary systems by modeling the observed multiplicities of the transiting planets (tranets) and their transit timing variations (TTVs). We robustly determine that the fraction of Sun-like stars with Kepler -like planets, η Kepler , is 30 ± 3%. Here Kepler -like planets are planets that have radii R p R ⊕ and orbital periods P < 400 days. Our result thus significantly revises previous claims that more than 50% of Sun-like stars have such planets. Combining with the average number of Kepler planets per star (∼ 0.9), we obtain that on average each planetary system has 3.0 ± 0.3 planets within 400 days. We also find that the dispersion in orbital inclinations of planets within a given planetary system, σ i,k , is a steep function of its number of planets, k. This can be parameterized as σ i,k ∝ k α and we find that −4 < α < −2 at 2-σ level. Such a distribution well describes the observed multiplicities of both transits and TTVs with no excess of single-tranet systems. Therefore we do not find evidence supporting the so-called "Kepler dichotomy." Together with a previous study on orbital eccentricities, we now have a consistent picture: the fewer planets in a system, the hotter it is dynamically. We discuss briefly possible scenarios that lead to such a trend. Despite our Solar system not belonging to the Kepler club, it is interesting to notice that the Solar system also has three planets within 400 days and that the inclination dispersion is similar to Kepler systems of the same multiplicity.

Space-based microlens parallax measurements are a powerful tool for understanding planet populations, especially their distribution throughout the Galaxy. However, if space-based observations of the microlensing events must be specifically targeted, it is crucial that microlensing events enter the parallax sample without reference to the known presence or absence of planets. Hence, it is vital to define objective criteria for selecting events where possible and to carefully consider and minimize the selection biases where not possible so that the final sample represents a controlled experiment.We present objective criteria for initiating observations and determining their cadence for a subset of events, and we define procedures for isolating subjective decision making from information about detected planets for the remainder of

We report relations between inner (< 1 au) super Earths (planets with mass/radius between Earth and Neptune) and outer (> 1 au) giant planets (mass > 0.3 M J , or cold Jupiters) around Sun-like stars, based on data from both ground-based radial velocity (RV) observations and the Kepler mission. We find that cold Jupiters appear three times more often around hosts of super Earths than they do around field stars. Given the prevalence of the super Earth systems, their cold Jupiters can account for nearly all cold Jupiters. In other words, cold Jupiters are almost certainly (∼ 90%) companied by super Earths. A few corollaries follow: (1) around metal-rich ([Fe/H]> 0.1) stars, the fraction of super Earths with cold Jupiters can rise to 60% or higher; (2) the inner architecture can be strongly impacted by the outer giant and we report some observational evidence for this; (3) planetary systems like our own, with cold Jupiters but no super Earths, should be rare (∼ 1%). The strong correlation between super Earths and cold Jupiters establish that super Earths and cold Jupiters do not compete for solid material, rather, they share similar origins, with the cold Jupiter formation requiring a somewhat more stringent condition. Lastly, we propose a few immediate observational tests of our results, using ground-based RV observations and ongoing/planned space missions.