Archived AstroTours
The birth of planetary systems: from star formation to the solar system
By Fergus Horrobin on 02 May, 2022To date, thousands of planets have been discovered around nearby stars. In fact, recent surveys suggest that nearly every nearby star is likely to have at least one planet. In this talk, I will present how we can use observations of young stars combined with planetary system configuration statistics to understand the formation and early evolution of planetary systems. I will also demonstrate how hydrodynamics simulations of protostellar disks can help us understand the physics of planet formation and identify features which may be evidence of a forming planet. Finally, I will show some of the current observations of forming planets and discuss briefly how next generation instruments will provide many more opportunities to catch planet formation in action.
About Fergus Horrobin
I am a third year PhD candidate at the University of Toronto's Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics and the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics. I use fluid dynamics simulations of protostellar disks, the disks of gas and dust which form around young stars, to understand the formation of planets and the dynamics of young planetary systems. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outside, particularly cycling and rock climbing.