“UNC-CH Astrophysics Colloquium”
Gregory Herczeg, Peking University
“The evolution of protoplanetary disks and their host stars”
The origins of our own planetary system was set when the sun was still young and surrounded by a circumstellar disk. Although the evolutionary sequence of star formation is now well charted, the physical phenomena that drive these changes are still poorly understood. These differences determine whether and what types of planets will form, around stars of different masses and in different environments. In this talk, I will discuss how recent and upcoming observations of protoplanetary disks in nearby star forming regions are revealing the disk evolution, including inferences of ongoing planet formation. I will also discuss expected improvements in the age dating of young stars, which will form the foundation for piecing together the sequences of disk evolution.