Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011iaus..280p.129c&link_type=abstract
The Molecular Universe, Posters from the proceedings of the 280th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union held in Tole
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
In the era of the Kepler Mission, the detection of numerous multi-planet systems has demonstrated that planet-formation appears to be a rather ubiquitous phenomenon. Such systems are believed to form from nascent protoplanetary disks, whose environment sets the stage for initial planetary chemical composition and evolution. However, disk systems typically vary by orders of magnitude in radiation field, densities and temperatures, and thus complex disk models are necessary to fully understand this unique chemical environment. Further evidence for disks as progenitors to planetary systems comes from Spitzer surveys of young disk systems, which have revealed a class of objects known as ``transition disks''. These systems appear to have inner voids and gaps in the dust opacity, possibly indicative of planet evolution and disk clearing. This physical evolution in the dust disk will significantly impact its chemical nature, and therefore these potentially planet-forming systems in ``transition'' should have unique chemical signatures. We predict one such signature to be an active chemistry at the wall interface where the conditions are such that the disk is both heated and optically thick to the photo-dissociating UV. The net result is a wide variety of gas-phase molecules, appearing in line emission as bright molecular rings far from the central star. This behavior should also reveal a wealth of information about the physical conditions in this actively evolving zone between the inner ``cleared'' disk and the massive outer disk. For this presentation I will discuss the features of our disk chemical model pipeline and select model results of transition disk systems. I will also highlight the exciting future of protoplanetary disk chemistry in the era of ALMA, which will truly revolutionize our understanding of the chemical nature of disks.
Bergin Edwin A.
Cleeves Ilse
Fogel Jeffrey
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