Marten Scheuck   (Germany)

scheuck @ mpia.de

Structure of planet-forming disks

Protoplanetary discs (PPDs) are the birthplaces of planets and the predecessors of planets and even star systems just like ours. By further deciphering them, especially their inner structure, we can say much about how not only planets form and what dust and gases they will be made of, but also make predictions for the whole resulting planetary system. Thus, I observe the inner structure of said discs, in spatial scales corresponding to the inner solar system, to further discern and unravel their attributes. Using mid-Infrared (mid-IR) interferometry observational data from the Multi-AperTure mid-Infrared SpectroScopic Experiment (MATISSE) I investigate and also compare them to computationally generated models, to formulate more precise predictions of the general make-up of PPDs. A special focus lies hereby on the gap/cavity structures that are present in many PPDs, that possibly result from the interaction of currently forming giant planets with the disk material.

Supervisor:    Thomas Henning   (MPIA)