Observing Planet Formation
Sean Andrews
Center for Astrophysics, Harvard University
In just the past quarter century, astronomers have discovered more than 5000 planets
orbiting other stars in our galaxy. Statistical extrapolations from this population suggest
that, on average, every star hosts a planetary system. These 'exoplanets' are
remarkably diverse, often exhibiting properties - masses, orbital architectures,
atmospheric compositions, etc. - considerably unlike those in our solar system. Much of
that diversity is imprinted during the formation epoch, where planet properties are
strongly influenced by interactions with their birth environments - the flattened disks of
gas and dust that orbit young stars.
Until recently, much of our understanding of planet formation was limited to forensic
study of a specific (and possibly outlier) example - the solar system - and was largely
theoretical. But in the past few years, very high angular resolution observations of disks
in nearby star-forming regions have unveiled key signatures of the planet formation
epoch and helped solve some long-standing theoretical dilemmas. This talk will focus on
what we are learning about the small-scale spatial distribution and kinematics of disk
material, largely based on state-of-the-art measurements with interferometers operating
at (sub)millimeter wavelengths, the corresponding implications for the assembly and
early evolution of planetary systems, and some expectations for progress in the coming
decade.
Date: | Jeudi, le 7 avril 2022 |
Heure: | 11:30 |
Lieu: | Université de Montréal |
| Zoom |