Project Grant 2607170

The National Science Foundation Division of Astronomical Sciences awarded the University of Connecticut $612,607 on September 1, 2026, under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) to develop disk evolution models that incorporate variable mass accretion during planet formation.

Researchers at the University of Connecticut will build a population synthesis modeling framework that accounts for variable mass inflow from molecular cloud cores through protostellar disks, departing from prior steady-state models that neglect observed accretion variability. The team will conduct parameter studies comparing viscous and magnetohydrodynamics wind-driven models of disk evolution, integrating results into a combined model to predict observable signatures of variable mass assembly. The research will leverage open-source codes to examine how infall streams and episodic accretion bursts shape the mass and demographic properties of young protostars and circumstellar disks, validating predictions against nearby star-forming regions.

The University of Connecticut will integrate the research with an existing institutional program designed to improve physics student retention by addressing physics identity, academic support, and community belonging.

Performance occurs at the Storrs, Connecticut campus through August 31, 2029.