Physics Program Presents

Heating Leftovers: Understanding Planet Formation from the Material Left Behind

Circumstellar disks of gas and dust are integral parts of planetary systems from formation to maturation. Protoplanetary disks, the name for circumstellar material at the earliest stages of a stellar lifetime, provide key information about the formation processes of planets, and therefore of the initial conditions that set system evolution in motion. Debris disks, the name for circumstellar material after the protoplanetary disk dissipates, are remnants of earlier processes and carry clues to the formation conditions and evolutionary pathways of mature systems. In this talk, I will demonstrate that understanding circumstellar material is key to interpreting planetary histories by examining two case studies.

First, I will present my laboratory work seeking to understand the behavior of noble gases in disk ice analogs. These experiments help explain the extent to which each gas traces different sources of volatiles within the protoplanetary disk. They also present initial clues as to the source of Jovian noble gas abundances. Second, I will discuss observations of the circumstellar material in the HD 172555 system. Here, gas and dust analysis indicates the first evidence for a planetary atmosphere stripped in the aftermath of a giant impact. 

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For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm EST/GMT-5

Location: Hegeman 107

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