[ESAC Seminar] Jensen Lawrence

“The Thermal and Isotopic Conditions of Gas Giant Formation”

Planets form in protoplanetary disks — disks of gas and dust that encircle newborn stars. While the whole disk influences planet formation, the planets themselves are assembled in the disk midplane. As such, the physical and chemical properties of midplane gas are of paramount importance in determining the outcomes of the planet formation process. Molecular line observations of midplane gas have been historically limited to a select few edge-on disks, meaning empirical constraints on the gas in the planet-forming region of disks were scant. However, thanks to recent improvements in ALMA’s angular resolution, the midplane can now be accessed in the molecular line emission of moderately inclined disks because of their channel map geometry. Here, I explore the midplane properties of HD 163296, a moderately inclined disk that is actively forming planets. Leveraging the disk’s velocity structure, I construct physically informed masks of the midplane, permitting the extraction of midplane emission. By jointly analyzing midplane emission from multiple CO isotopologues, I measure radial variations in temperature and isotopologue ratios in this planet-forming region. The applications of these results are widespread, from constraining planetesimal growth to establishing links between disks and exoplanet atmospheres.

ESAC Student Seminar Series —

A forum for students and postdocs to share recent research, hone presentation skills, and build community among peers, sponsored by the EAPS Student Advisory Committee. Open to current EAPS graduate and undergraduate students and postdocs. Typically hosted on Thursdays during the semester, including pizza lunch.

Contact: esac.officers@gmail.com