General Physics Physics Seminar 10 October 2002


Gas-grain Processes in Protoplanetary Disks around Young Stars

Ewine F. van Dishoeck

Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden, The Netherlands



Stars and planetary systems are born deep inside molecular clouds of gas and dust. The detection of more than 90 exo-solar planets around nearby stars shows that the formation of gas-rich giant planets is common. But how do these planets form? Although it is commonly accepted that they originate in the circumstellar disks around young stars, little is known about the physical and chemical processes in such disks.

In this talk, an overview will be given of recent developments in the area of star- and planet formation, with emphasis on the gas-phase and gas-grain chemical processes that play a role. The evolution of the gas and dust from molecular clouds to protostars and forming planetary systems will be traced using recent spectroscopic results from submillimeter and mid-infrared telescopes. The prospects for future facilities such as ALMA, NGST and Herschel will be emphasized.