Related papers: Transitional Disks as Signposts of Young, Multipla…
Two decades ago "transitional disks" described spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of T Tauri stars with small near-IR excesses, but significant mid- and far-IR excesses. Many inferred this indicated dust-free holes in disks, possibly…
A key challenge for protoplanetary disks and planet formation models is to be able to make a reliable connection between observed structures in the disks emission, like bright and dark rings or asymmetries, and the supposed existence of…
A stunning range of substructures in the dust of protoplanetary disks is routinely observed across a range of wavelengths. These gaps, rings and spirals are highly indicative of a population of unseen planets, hinting at the possibility of…
We combined hydrodynamical simulations of planet-disk interactions with dust evolution models that include coagulation and fragmentation of dust grains over a large range of radii and derived observational properties using radiative…
Circumstellar discs with large dust depleted cavities and vigorous accretion onto the central star are often considered signposts for (multiple) giant planet formation. In this letter we show that X-ray photoevaporation operating in discs…
The formation of planets is one of the major unsolved problems in modern astrophysics. Planets are believed to form out of the material in circumstellar disks known to exist around young stars, and which are a by-product of the star…
Most detected transiting planets have orbits which would fit within the one of Mercury, exposing them to intense stellar irradiation and interactions that significantly alter their properties. In contrast, colder planets with longer orbital…
The known exoplanet population displays a great diversity of orbital architectures, and explaining the origin of this is a major challenge for planet formation theories. The gravitational interaction between young planets and their…
Transitional disks represent a short stage of the evolution of circumstellar material. Studies of dust grains in these objects can provide pivotal information on the mechanisms of planet formation. Dissimilarities in the spatial…
(Pre-)transitional disks show gaps and cavities that can be related with on-going planet formation. According to theory, young embedded planets can accrete material from the circumplanetary and circumstellar disks, so that they could be…
Transition disks with large inner dust cavities are thought to host massive companions. However, the disk structure inside the companion orbit and how material flows toward an actively accreting star remain unclear. We present a high…
Protoplanetary disks dissipate rapidly after the central star forms, on time-scales comparable to those inferred for planet formation. In order to allow the formation of planets, disks must survive the dispersive effects of UV and X-ray…
Young circumstellar disks are of prime interest to understand the physical and chemical conditions under which planet formation takes place. Only very few detections of planet candidates within these disks exist, and most of them are…
Recent detailed observations of protoplanetary discs revealed a lot of sub-structures which are mostly ring-like. One interpretation is that these rings are caused by growing planets. These potential planets are not yet opening very deep…
Protoplanetary disks surrounding young stars are the birth place of planets. Of particular interest are the transition disks with large inner dust cavities of tens of au, hinting at the presence of massive companions. These cavities were…
Recently, analysis of near-infrared broad-band photometry and Spitzer IRS spectra has led to the identification of a new "pre-transitional disk" class whose members have an inner optically thick disk separated from an outer optically thick…
Planet-forming disks turn from gas-rich, massive disks made of dust and gas into planetary systems containing only small amounts dust produced by collisions between smaller planetary objects like planetesimals, asteroids, or comets.…
Planet migration within inner protoplanetary disks significantly influences exoplanet architectures. We investigate various migration mechanisms for young planets close to young stars. To quantify the stochastic migration driven by…
In this chapter, I present a summary of observational tests of the basic picture of disk accretion. An emphasis is placed on tests relevant to black holes, but many of the fundamental results are drawn from studies of other classes of…
Circumstellar disks are an integral part of the star formation process and the sites where planets are formed. Understanding the physical processes that drive their evolution, as disks evolve from optically thick to optically thin, is…