Speaker
Description
Our understanding of planet formation has changed recently, embracing the new idea of pebble accretion. This means that the influx of pebbles from the outer regions of planet-forming disks to their inner zones could determine the composition of planets and their atmospheres. The solid and molecular components delivered to the planet-forming region can be best characterized by mid- infrared spectroscopy. With Spitzer low-resolution (R=100, 600) spectroscopy, this approach was limited to the detection of abundant molecules such as OH, H2O, C2H2, HCN and CO2. Due do the sensitivity and spectral resolution provided by JWST we now have a unique tool to obtain the full inventory of chemistry in the inner disks of solar-types stars and brown dwarfs, including also less abundant hydrocarbons and isotopologues. The Integral Field Unit (IFU) capabilities enables at the same time spatial studies of the continuum and line emission in extended sources such as debris disks, the flying saucer and also the search for mid-IR signatures of forming planets in systems such as PDS 70. In this talk, I will present a top level overview of the first results of the MINDS (MIRI mid-INfrared Disk Survey, PI: Th. Henning) survey.
