Project description
Understanding the building blocks of planets
Despite the detection of countless exoplanets and planet birthplaces, accretion — the accumulation of matter under the influence of a young host star’s gravity to form planets — is still not well understood. This is because its intermediate stages are not easily observed. Using novel numerical models, the ERC-funded PLANETOIDS project will create an all-inclusive framework covering accretion dust coalescence, the formation of pebble-sized amalgamates, and the creation of planetesimals, the building blocks of planets. Specific focus will be given to planetesimal formation location, time, and number in the accretion disc, as well as any causal influences of the host star. The project promises new insights into the formation of exoplanets and our own solar system.
Objective
The major objective of the PLANETOIDS project is to profoundly advance our understanding of planet formation. Numerous discoveries of exoplanets in the last years proved that planet formation is a rule rather than an exception. At the same time, we made unprecedented progress in observations of the birthplaces of planets, the disks surrounding young stars, where dust growth up to pebble-sizes is detected. Despite the significant progress, the planet formation process remains a conundrum as its intermediate stages are essentially unobservable. This project aims at constructing innovative numerical models of the early stages of planet formation when the dust grows to pebbles and becomes gravitationally bound in building blocks of planets called planetesimals. Despite the critical role of this phase in the planet formation process, global models addressing planetesimal formation are scarce. With PLANETOIDS, I propose to go beyond the state-of-the-art by combining the most advanced models of circumstellar disk formation and structure, dust evolution, planetesimal formation, and planetesimal growth in one comprehensive framework. The key aspects included in PLANETOIDS are: 1) investigating how dust grows and circulates in wind-driven circumstellar disks, 2) understanding where, when, and how many planetesimals can emerge and how this result depends on the properties and environment of the host star, 3) exploring the pathways of fast planet formation required to explain the observations of young circumstellar disks. With these developments, it will become possible to self-consistently simulate the decisive early stages of planet formation for the first time. The awaited results are essential for explaining the origin of the Solar System and the diversity of exoplanets.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences asteroids
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy planetary sciences planets exoplanetology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2021-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.