Description:

Abstract: Planets form within disks composed of gas, ice, and dust in orbit around young stars. The distribution of volatiles (gas+ice) within these disks profoundly impacts both the chemical and physical outcomes of planet formation-- including the delivery of prebiotic building blocks to new worlds.  In this talk, I will highlight our recent advances in disentangling how organic complexity is built up during the star and planet formation sequence, the role of interstellar inheritance in setting disk volatile compositions, and the distinctive volatile chemistry at play during the planet formation epoch.  These insights are gained by combining telescope observations, ice chemistry experiments, and disk simulations, each of which contributes an indispensable piece of the puzzle.  Taken together, we are assembling a more complete picture of the chemical environment which regulates the formation, composition, and potential habitability of planetesimals and planets.

Speaker: Jennifer Bergner, NASA Sagan Fellow, University of Chicago