Observational Planet Formation
by
Tsung-Dao Lee Institute/S4F-SW - Open Area
Tsung-Dao Lee Institute
Host: Dong Lai
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Abstract:
It is hard to see a plane cruising at 10 km, as the plane is tiny and faint in the sky. But, if we can see the contrail trailing behind the plane, we know where the plane is. Now, astronomers are applying the same principle to study how planets form by detecting and characterizing the structures that baby planets produce in their birth cradles — protoplanetary disks. This is a new field largely driven by discoveries made by some of the largest and most advanced telescopes ever built. I will introduce the current status of the field and highlight some of the latest developments as well as unsolved problems.
Biography:
Dr. Dong earned his Ph.D. in astrophysics from Princeton University in 2013 and his B.S. in physics from Peking University in 2008. He subsequently held postdoctoral positions at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / UC Berkeley and the University of Arizona. In 2018 he joined the University of Victoria in Canada as an assistant professor, became associate professor in 2023, and returned to Peking University as a full professor in 2024. Dr. Dong’s research centers on planet formation, integrating observational data with hydrodynamic and radiative-transfer simulations to advance our understanding of exoplanetary systems.
