Catarina Ubach
Protoplanetary discs are gaseous dusty objects around young stars containing the building blocks for planets. The dust contained in these discs is studied in order to understand the multi-step grain growth process leading to planet formation. Observational signatures of grain growth are probed in both the infrared (IR) and millimeter (mm). The IR regime explores the hot inner upper surface of the disc, whereas the mm regime probes the cooler outer regions and mid-plane of the disk where the bulk of the dust resides. These wavelengths directly probe the first stages of planet formation, as tiny grains grow in size to become planets.
How grain growth is affected by the age and evolutionary state, structure, and environment of the disc, if disc masses are large enough to form planets, and how outflows and stellar activity affect grain growth, are all questions still under debate in the field of protoplanetary discs and planet formation. Through millimeter observations of the Chamaeleon and Lupus star forming regions and radiative transfer disc modeling, my thesis will explore the answer to these questions.
| Phone | +61 3 9214 8708 | |
| Fax | +61 3 9214 8797 | |
| Office | AR 310d | |
| Personal Webpage | http://cubach.wordpress.com |