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Title: Dust dynomics in protoplanetary disks
Speaker: Dr. Min-Kai Lin (ASIAA)
Date: November 16 at 3:30pm
Location: General building II, R521
Abstract:
Planet formation takes place inside disks of gas and dust around young stars --- protoplanetary disks (PPDs). While the dust component only makes up about one per cent of the total disk mass, it underpins planet formation from both theoretical and observational perspectives. In this talk, I describe our recent work on dust dynamics in PPDs. I will present a simplified framework to model the complex dynamics of dust-gas interaction, by drawing on an analogy between dusty-gas and pure gas dynamics. I then demonstrate several applications of this new approach, including a new analytical understanding of the `streaming instability' for planetesimal formation; numerical simulations of dust-settling in turbulent PPDs; and the interaction between low mass protoplanets and dusty disks. Implications for planet formation and future work will be discussed.