| |
 |
| Paper: |
Millimeter–Radio Observations of the Hallmarks of Planet Formation in
Circumstellar Disks |
| Volume: |
476, New Trends in Radio Astronomy in the ALMA Era |
| Page: |
149 |
| Authors: |
Andrews, S. M. |
| Abstract: |
Some of the fundamental processes involved in the assembly of planetary systems
are just now becoming accessible to astronomical observations of circumstellar
disks. The new promise of observational work in the field of planet formation
makes for a very dynamic research scenario, which is certain to be amplified in
the coming years as the revolutionary ALMA facility ramps up to full
operations. To highlight some of the new directions being explored in this
field, I will describe how we are using high angular resolution measurements at
mm–radio wavelengths to study two crucial aspects of the formation and early
evolution of planetary systems: (1) the growth and migration of disk solids,
and (2) the interactions between a young planetary system and its natal,
gas-rich disk. For the former, I will demonstrate that we have identified
evidence for spatial variations in both the particle size distribution and
(potentially) the gas:dust mass ratio in young disks, and how those could
translate into new constraints on models of grain growth and radial drift. And
for the latter, I will review what we have learned from directly resolved radio
observations of large, dust-depleted cavities in the centers of so-called
“transition” disks, including their surprisingly high frequency and some
possibilities for the observational study of planet-disk interactions. |
|
|
|
|
|
