AstroSeminar: How can we observe forming planets and their surroundings?

Tomorrow (13th Jan) the Wednesday seminar will be delivered by Prof. Judit Szulagyi (ETH, Zurich) at usual time (3pm). Please find below title and abstract of the talk. Members of the School of Physics and Astronomy who did not receive the link via email can send an email to er198[at]leicester.ac.uk to receive the link.

Title: How can we observe forming planets and their surroundings?

Abstract: It is challenging to observe forming planetary systems, so we have to rely on computer simulations of planet formation to study the process. The hydrodynamical simulations, especially with thermal effects included, can be then used not only to understand the theory behind the formation steps and -timescale, but also used to give predictions for observations.
With thermo-hydrodynamical simulations I study the forming planet vicinity with sub-planet resolution, and making mock images for observations at various wavelength, to understand which wavelength, which instrument is the best today to detect forming planets and what clues we have to look for when searching for nascent planets. From near-infrared to radio wavelengths, I created images and spectra for instruments like ALMA, SPHERE, NaCo, ERIS, as well as estimating hydrogen recombination line strengths (H-alpha, Paschen-beta, Brackett-gamma). In my talk I will review what conditions are favorable to detect planets, which instrument is the best today to do so, and what information we could get out from those observations regarding the forming planet characteristics. I will explain why we have only a handful of forming planet detections so far, and which directions we have to move forward to increase the number.