Collaborative Research: Pioneering planet formation chemistry with ALMA

行星是由年轻恒星周围的尘埃和气体组成的。行星的形成过程与盘状物质的化学性质有关：盘状物质的化学性质决定了行星形成的结果，而行星在盘状物质中的形成可能会影响其化学性质。研究人员将使用阿塔卡马大型毫米和亚毫米阵列（ALMA）来绘制五颗年轻恒星周围圆盘的化学结构。他们还将发展理论，利用他们观察到的化学物质的分布来约束这五个系统的行星形成模型。PI Oberg将继续每年指导一名班纳克研究员，而联合PI Bergin将继续提供关于招聘多样性和卓越性的研讨会。他还将在一次会议上介绍该讲习班。研究生和本科生将参与这项工作。该团队批准的ALMA大型项目以25+个单个分子线中的5个原行星盘为目标，旨在阐明：粉尘和化学亚结构之间的相互作用。观测的高角度分辨率将使他们能够绘制出尘埃亚结构和化学亚结构之间的关系。分子在圆盘上的垂直分布。通过将高角度分辨率观测与线激发分析相结合，该团队将约束垂直化学圆盘结构。行星形成带中有机分子和挥发性元素的分布。该小组将建立一个磁盘化学子结构的目录，并制定一个适当的分类法。他们将对环状、螺旋状、高原状、非轴对称的过度和消耗、垂直发射层和其他观察到的样本子结构进行编目。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。

Planets form and are composed of the dust and gas found in disks around young stars. The planet formation process is linked to the chemistry of the materials in the disks: the chemical properties of the disk material shape the outcome of planet formation, and planet formation in the disk is likely to affect its chemistry. The investigators will use the Atacama Large Millimeter and submillimeter Array (ALMA) to map the chemical structures of disks around five young stars. They will also develop theory to use the distribution of chemicals they observe to constrain planet formation models for the five systems. PI Oberg will continue mentoring a Banneker fellow each year, and co-PI Bergin will continue to offer a workshop on recruiting for both diversity and excellence. He will also present the workshop at a conference. Graduate and undergraduate students will be involved in the work.The team's approved ALMA Large Program targets 5 protoplanetary disks in 25+ individual molecular lines, and was designed to elucidate:1. the interplay between dust and chemical sub-structures. The high angular resolution of the observations will allow them to map out relationships between dust sub-structures and chemical sub-structures.2. the vertical distributions of molecules in disks. By combining high-angular resolution observations with line excitation analysis the team will constrain the vertical chemical disk structures.3. the distribution of organic molecules and volatile elements in the planet forming zone. The team will construct a catalogue of disk chemical sub-structures and develop an appropriate taxonomy. They will catalogue rings, spirals, plateaus, non-axisymmetric excesses and depletions, vertical emission layers, and other observed sub-structures across the sample.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.