Abstract: "Watching Planets Form: New Discoveries in Planet Formation,” looks at protoplanetary disks—the gas and dust around young stars—and how forming planets reshape those environments. An assistant professor at Clemson, he combines observations, simulations, and theory to trace the structures planets leave behind, including eccentric, off-center disk components around systems such as CI Tau and AB Aur. He will also discuss recent work on how radiation pressure and shadowing can destabilize a disk’s dusty surface and rearrange the material from which planets grow. Together, that gives a look at how we can now watch planet formation in action, and at what the latest results are showing.
Speaker:
Dr. Jeffrey Fung is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Clemson University. My group combines observations, numerical simulations, and analytical theory to understand protoplanetary disks and planet formation.
Learn more about his research here: Dr. Jeffrey Fung