Abstract: There has been a tremendous leap forward in our understanding of the formation of planetary systems thanks to substantial advances in our observational capabilities. Observatories like ALMA are routinely revealing the presence of complex structures in the gas and dust which are forming planets, much of which has been associated with young, embedded protoplanets. Such observations are unpinning significant developments in the theory of how, and from what, planets form. In this talk I will provide an overview of our current understanding of the physical, chemical and dynamical structure of protoplanetary disks with a particular focus on how we are beginning to detect the presence of young planets, only recently formed. I will present new results from the exoALMA program, an ALMA Large Program that is undertaking an extensive planet-hunting campaign in the sub-mm, and the related projects on facilities like JWST, VLT and Magellan. To conclude, I will discuss future facilities, and detail how, in the coming decade, we will begin to push into the terrestrial planet forming regions of these disks and understand the formation of Earth-like planets.
From Pebbles to Planets: New Frontiers in Planet Formation
Richard Teague (MIT) // March 18, 2024
Abstract: There has been a tremendous leap forward in our understanding of the formation of planetary systems thanks to substantial advances in our observational capabilities. Observatories like ALMA are routinely revealing the presence of complex structures in the gas and dust which are forming planets, much of which has been associated with young, embedded protoplanets. Such observations are unpinning significant developments in the theory of how, and from what, planets form. In this talk I will provide an overview of our current understanding of the physical, chemical and dynamical structure of protoplanetary disks with a particular focus on how we are beginning to detect the presence of young planets, only recently formed. I will present new results from the exoALMA program, an ALMA Large Program that is undertaking an extensive planet-hunting campaign in the sub-mm, and the related projects on facilities like JWST, VLT and Magellan. To conclude, I will discuss future facilities, and detail how, in the coming decade, we will begin to push into the terrestrial planet forming regions of these disks and understand the formation of Earth-like planets.