Leonardo Testi (ESO)

The Disks of Dawn: constraining the early stages of planet formation with ATCA and ALMA - Leonardo Testi Colloquium

ATNF Marsfield Lecture Theatre

Abstract

Circumstellar disks form as a necessary consequence of the star formation process. In the early phases of the formation of stars, the disk allow matter to loose angular momentum and accrete onto the central star, at later stages, within the disk planetary systems will form. In the core accretion scenario for planet formation, the solids within the disk grow in size from the sub-micron ISM dust particles to large dust grains, planetesimals and eventually rocky cores before accreting gas. The initial phase of this process can be constrained with millimeter and radio observations. I will review recent results from our group (mostly coming from ATCA observations) and the successes and shortcomings of the models in explaining these. I will discuss how these observations will be complemented and extended by future ALMA observations. While we are eagerly waiting for the first ALMA observations of disks we are already
planning possible ALMA upgrades in the coming decade that will extend its capabilities for the study of the planet formation process.