UNRAVELING THE CHEMISTRY OF PLANET-FORMING DISKS IN THE ALMA ERA

Romane Le Gal – IRAP

Over the past decades, questions about the origins and prevalence of life on planets have shifted from metaphysical questions to hot research topics in astrophysics. The latest generation of high-sensitivity telescopes (ALMA, NOEMA, SPHERE, JWST) is providing access to the cradles of star and planet formation at unprecedented spatial and spectral resolutions, making it possible to study the chemical evolution of interstellar matter from molecular clouds to forming planetary systems. In particular, we can now address the issue of the chemical inheritance, namely how much of the pre-stellar molecular composition is eventually incorporated into planets which form in gas and dust-rich disks orbiting young stars. Disks are exposed to energetic radiations and undergo strong dynamical processes, including planet formation. These phenomena can have a significant impact on the composition of the nascent planets. It is thus crucial to determine the degree of chemical reprocessing during planet formation. In this talk, I will show how by combining observations and start-for-the-art astrochemical modeling fed by theoretical and experimental studies, it is possible to 1) constrain the chemistry of planet-forming disks, 2) start disentangle between chemical inheritance and chemical reprocessing in these disks, and 3) identify chemical signatures of planet formation.