[PLS] Andres Izquierdo (University of Florida)

“Reading disc dynamics between the lines”

Planets, warps, and instabilities are among the mechanisms shaping the dynamics of protoplanetary discs, yet they can leave similar kinematic signatures. Distinguishing these processes requires looking beyond deviations from Keplerian rotation of the gas disc to the richer information encoded in line profiles. In this talk, I present a tomographic analysis that combines the spatial and spectral information in ALMA molecular-line observations to investigate the motions shaping planet-forming systems. I show how velocity perturbations, localized line broadening, and tracer-dependent asymmetries offer promising ways to distinguish planet-driven motions from other flows. I will also introduce ongoing work using principal component analysis to connect characteristic spectral variations with their spatial morphology, retaining information that can be mixed or suppressed in conventional moment maps. This aims to establish a generalized statistical framework for linking molecular-line fluctuations across a disc to the physical mechanisms at work during planet formation.

Planetary Lunch Seminar —

Colloquia topics span the range of research interests of the department’s planetary sciences research program, and the talks are intended to appeal to any graduate students, postdocs, research scientists, and faculty with a background in planetary science. Speakers include members of the MIT community and visitors.

Contact: planetary-org@mit.edu