This National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Astronomical Sciences Project Grant award of $449,288 will fund a 3-year research program at Columbia University to investigate variations in planet formation conditions. The research will utilize radio telescopes to analyze the structure and chemistry of protoplanetary disks around young stars, particularly in environments that have been less characterized. Specific objectives include comparing the chemical properties of disks undergoing late infall of cloud/envelope material to previous observations of isolated disks, re-evaluating the evolutionary classification of an apparently young, embedded disk exhibiting evidence of planet-disk interactions, and searching for disk substructures in a highly irradiated star-forming region. The project will also leverage wide-field CO mapping to characterize the mass and distribution of the large-scale gas reservoir available to a disk undergoing late infall. This award aligns with NSF's Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to strengthen the nation's scientific enterprise through enhanced understanding of major scientific problems.
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