LPL Colloquium: Dr. Ilaria Pascucci

When

3:45 p.m., Jan. 22, 2013

Where

Dr. Ilaria Pascucci
Assistant Professor
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory

"The Dispersal of Protoplanetary Disks - Impact on Planetary Architectures"

Abstract:
Astronomical observations have demonstrated that viscous accretion, the dominant driver of early disk evolution, cannot account for the final dispersal of protoplanetary disks. In this talk, I will discuss the physical processes proposed to explain these late stages of disk evolution. I will seek constraints from disk observations and from the Solar System to evaluate their role in clearing protoplanetary material. I will also present new diagnostics to measure the rate at which disks lose their mass. Finally, I will discuss how disk clearing impacts planet migration and shapes planetary architectures.