Building stars, planets and molecules in space
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Tsung-Dao Lee Institute/N6F-N601 - Meeting Room
Tsung-Dao Lee Institute
Host: Dong Lai
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Thousands of planets have been discovered around stars other than our Sun. But how and where are these exo-planets born, and why are they so different from those in our own solar system? Which ingredients are available to build them? Thanks to powerful new telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, astronomers can now zoom in to planetary construction sites and study their composition. Water and a surprisingly rich variety of organic materials are found near forming stars. Can they be delivered to new planets to form the basis for life elsewhere in the universe?
Ewine van Dishoeck is professor of molecular astrophysics at Leiden University, the Netherlands and scientific member of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching. The work of her group unites the world of chemistry with that of physics and astronomy. She has been heavily involved in planning major new telescopes, including JWST and ALMA, and has been fortunate to receive many awards, including the 2018 Kavli Prize for Astrophysics, as well as membership of several academies. From 2018-2021, Ewine served as the President of the International Astronomical Union (IAU).