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Events on Monday, January 31st, 2022

Public Research Seminar
Building a habitable planet: an emerging view of volatile chemistry in planet-forming disks
Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Place: Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, Orchard Room
Speaker: Jennifer Bergner, University of Chicago
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 chemistry 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. Web Link:
Host: Hannah Zanowski, Assistant Professor Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
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