Research
What determines which planets a disk can build?
A disk’s temperature, density, and composition shape the types of planets that form, from atmospheres to architectures. We map these properties across disks and how they influence planetary outcomes.
How do disks become the exoplanets we detect?
We observe disks and exoplanets at very different stages of their lives. We work to bridge that gap by connecting the conditions in young disks to the wider exoplanet populations and our own Solar System.
What does each wavelength reveal?
Radio interferometers, like ALMA, VLA, and SMA, trace the bulk gas and dust in the outer disk. JWST probes the hot inner regions, while optical facilities, such as the LBT, provide complementary views.
Where does chemical complexity come from?
We study how molecules form, survive, and evolve across the interstellar medium and into protoplanetary disks — tracing a chemical thread from diffuse gas to the material that planets are built from.
Can we see planet formation in real time?
A forming planet leaves marks on its disk: carved gaps, disturbed gas kinematics, excess dust and gas, and localized changes in chemistry. We search for and characterize these signatures directly in disks.
How much chemistry do disks inherit?
The chemistry of star-forming regions begins in their natal molecular clouds. We study what material is inherited from these clouds and how this shapes the evolution of protostars, disks, and planets.