Speaker: Prof. Ilse Cleeves, University of Virginia
Abstract: The last decade of ALMA observations has transformed our view of planet-forming environments in all respects. High-resolution images have revealed a diverse array of structured belts of millimeter-sized dust and a variety of distinct molecular compositions both within disks and between different disk systems. How does this diversity translate into the initial conditions for planet formation and the compositions (gaseous and solid) that planets receive? Do planets acquire water and organic material during formation, or later from volatile-rich cometary reservoirs? I will present recent work including ongoing efforts from the ALMA "Disk-Exoplanet C/Onnection" Large Program, highlighting how observations and models have radically shifted our picture of the chemical and physical environment of planet formation in recent years and how multiwavelength campaigns, including with JWST, can help us identify patterns in the apparent variety of protoplanetary environments. I will conclude with a look forward to bridging the mid-IR and sub-millimeter gap with powerful tracers of planetary composition enabled by upcoming far-IR missions.