[PLS] Lina Kimmig (Milan University)

“I’m a scientist, not a Warp Engineer! An Introduction to Warped Protoplanetary Disks”

What does the warp drive have in common with protoplanetary disks? Spoiler: not much, except for the name. In the context of planet formation, warps are tilts and misalignments of the orbital planes within a circumstellar disk. They form in a variety of different scenarios, for example from gravitational interactions with inclined binaries or misaligned infall of gas and dust at later stages of the disk’s evolution. Once present, a warp affects the dynamics of a disk: the disk’s shape changes as a consequence of pressure forces arising due to the warp. Warped disks are frequently observed, revealing themselves through characteristic signatures such as shadows and other asymmetries. In this talk, I will introduce the physics of warped disks and explore how these structures shape the dynamics of young planetary systems.

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