Constraining Planet Formation Around Hundreds of Young Stars in Rich Clusters

恒星和行星的形成是同时发生的，在银河系不到1000万年的区域。银河系中的大多数恒星形成密集的星团或星团。这项研究将产生迄今为止最全面和详细的尘埃盘研究，这些尘埃盘有可能在这些典型的、密集的恒星形成区域形成围绕恒星的行星。在先前的资助工作中，研究者获得了这个新项目的基本数据，并在科学期刊上发表了第一批结果。在这里，研究人员将把这些数据与其他科学家提供的现有支持数据结合起来，利用新的望远镜观测结果增加数据量，并分析所有数据。这些结果将限制行星、尘埃盘和星团形成的理论模型。这个项目通过促进我们对密集的、聚集的恒星形成区域中行星形成盘的形成的理解来支持国家科学基金会的使命。首席研究员将在研究项目中包括一名非传统背景的学生，并将通过他所教的班级和公开的夜间讲座分享研究成果。这项研究将产生迄今为止最全面和最高角度分辨率的研究，研究集群恒星形成区域中潜在的行星形成盘。这种密集的、短暂的、短暂的星团包含100到1000多颗正在形成的恒星，这些恒星在巨大的分子云中自引力的、秒差距直径的团块中，在那里流出的反馈、紫外线辐射、恒星风和超新星塑造了行星形成的环境。预期的结果将包括数百个同时期原行星盘的行星形成区内的星周质量，这些盘的大小分布，对其他盘参数的限制，如尺度高度和表面密度剖面，以及盘、恒星和环境属性之间的关系。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Star and planet formation occur at the same time, in regions of the Galaxy less than about 10 million years old. Most stars in the Galaxy form in dense groups or clusters. This research will produce the most comprehensive and detailed study to date of the dust disks with the potential to form planets surrounding stars in these typical, dense star-forming regions. In previously-funded work, the investigator obtained the basic data for this new program and published the first results in scientific journals. Here, the investigators will combine these data with available supporting data from other scientists, increase the amount of data with the results from new telescopic observations, and analyze all of the data. These results will constrain theoretical models of planet, dust disk, and clustered star formation. This project supports the mission of the NSF by promoting our understanding of the formation of planet-forming disks in dense, clustered star forming regions. The lead investigator will include a student from a non-traditional background in the research project, and will share the research results with classes that he teaches and through public evening lectures.This research will produce the most comprehensive and highest angular resolution study to date of potentially planet-forming disks in clustered star forming regions. Such dense, transient, short-lived clusters contain from 100 to over 1000 forming stars inside self-gravitating, parsec diameter clumps within giant molecular clouds where outflow feedback, UV radiation, stellar winds, and supernovae shape the environment of planet formation. The expected results will include the circumstellar masses within the planet-forming zones of hundreds of coeval protoplanetary disks, the size distribution for these disks, constraints on other disk parameters such as scale height and surface density profile, and relationships between disk, stellar, and environmental properties.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.