SPA Colloquium: Charles Law, UMN

Abstract: Planets are born in dusty, gas-rich disks around young stars, and the properties of planetary systems, including their architectures, atmospheres, and potential habitability, reflect the conditions in these birth environments. In this talk, I will show how facilities such as the ALMA radio telescope and James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) are transforming our ability to probe the structure, composition, and chemistry of protoplanetary disks. These observations show that disks are not smooth and featureless, but instead are full of rings, gaps, and spirals that play a key role in shaping how and where planets form. I will also highlight our efforts to develop new methods to identify the chemical fingerprints of protoplanets still embedded in their natal disks. Finally, I will look ahead to how the next generation of wideband radio telescopes will open new frontiers in disk chemistry, planet formation, and molecular astrophysics