Scattered Light imaging of YSOs: Probing the Fundamental Stages of Planet Formation

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Planets and stars form at the same time in warm, dusty disks surrounding the stars. Using 80 hours of observing time on the 8-meter telescope Gemini South in Chile with the Gemini Planet Imager instrument, these investigators will image the structure in a dust disk with very high resolution. As planets form and grow, disks develop spiral arms, gaps, and eventually hollow cavities -- signposts of planet formation. The investigators will study a sample of 30 dust disks covering all stages of the formation of planets. They will follow-up with telescopic instruments covering other observable traits of the stars and disks. The basic stages of planet formation can be determined structurally within the dust disks around the sample stars. This project supports the mission of the NSF by promoting our understanding of the stages of planet formation within dust disks around other stars. The lead investigator will continue his partnership with the Ann Arbor Hands-on Museum to reach out to the often-overlooked rural population of Michigan through traveling astronomical science exhibits.The Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) instrument can image dust structure with spatial resolution as small as 6 AU by exploiting extreme adaptive optics, coronagraphy, and a differential polarization mode. The proposed observational survey of 30 disks draws evenly from a sample of intermediate-mass young stellar objects spanning all the known stages of planet formation. Follow-up using the mm-wave and other visible/IR high-contrast instruments will be pursued as part of the proposed research plan. By linking newly discovered disk structures with stellar ages, spectral types, and the disk spectral energy distributions for a statistically-significant number of objects, the fundamental stages of planet formation can be determined both morphologically and then quantitatively through the proposed radiative transfer and hydrodynamical modeling to estimate disk masses, disk scale heights, dust sizes, and the radii of gaps and other structures.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.