Observational Signatures of planet formation in externally IRradiated dIScs

Star and planet formation typically occurs in star forming regions more massive than the nearby, low-mass regions that have been the main focus of observational studies of protoplanetary discs.

In massive regions, irradiation by neighbouring massive stars can heat this protoplanetary disc of dust and gas, from which planets form. This heating drives thermal winds that extract dust and gas, reducing the mass available for planet formation.

In typical star and planet forming environments, these winds are sufficient to drastically change the outcome of planet formation. However, this consideration is currently missing from models.

Further, we are yet to find observational evidence of planet formation in the strongly externally irradiated discs that are the most common.

These advances are essential steps in understanding the properties of exoplanets, and in uncovering the key processes that govern their formation.

During this project, I will make new calculations of the mass-loss rates for irradiated discs as small dust grains are processed into planets.

I will then use semi-analytic computational modelling to investigate how the process of planet formation differs in externally irradiated environments compared to non-irradiated environments.

I will compare these models to state of the art observations of protoplanetary discs, putting constraints on the physics of disc evolution.

Finally, I will run hydrodynamic and radiative transfer calculations to make predictions for observational searches for planets in irradiated environments. These efforts are essential for understanding how planet formation proceeds in typical star formation environments. In this way, I will unveil how the star formation environment sculpts the observed exoplanet population.