Objective Exoplanets are frequent around Solar-like stars, as shown by Large Surveys. They are formed by the growth of dust and accumulation of gas contained in protoplanetary disks surrounding young stars. To form planets, the classic Core-Accretion scenario is the main framework today, but it appears to be too slow given the short lifetimes of disks. Theoretical additions to Core-Accretion exist to speed it up. They all hypothesize that disks contain a massive, dense, and flat layer of pebbles in the midplane. The validation of these scenarios will be impossible as long as the disk properties remain uncertain. The first objective of this project is to provide the first direct observational constraints (mass, vertical extent, radius) for this midplane pebble layer. Specifically, an original imaging programme for Edge-On disks will be combined with dedicated hydrodynamical models of vertical dust settling, taking into account dust evolution and dust-gas dynamics. This is very demanding. The second objective is to identify the shape of dust in young disks and pin down their growth mechanisms. This major advance is also crucial because the structure of dust governs the dust-gas dynamics (via collision and drag cross-sections) as well as the scattering properties needed to compare data and models. To meet this goal, we will extract the scattering properties (phase function, polarisation) from high resolution images and use a unique micro-wave analogy experiment. Complex analog particles will be fabricated, measured, and compared with data to ultimately reveal the structure of dust in disks. All these results, combined in the final objective, will lead to a major leap towards a deep understanding of dust growth and early planet assembly in protoplanetary disks. Dust2Planets has the potential to overcome two long-standing obstacles in early planetesimal assembly: how dust overcomes the radial-drift and fragmentation barriers to form planetesimals. Fields of science natural sciencesphysical sciencesastronomyplanetary sciencesplanetsexoplanetology Keywords Formation of Stars and Planets Observations and Models of Protoplanetary disks Radiative transfer Dust properties: Micro-wave analogy experiment Programme(s) HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2021-ADG - ERC ADVANCED GRANTS Call for proposal ERC-2021-ADG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC - Support for frontier research (ERC) Host institution CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS Net EU contribution € 2 487 721,00 Address RUE MICHEL ANGE 3 75794 Paris France See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 2 487 721,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS France Net EU contribution € 2 487 721,00 Address RUE MICHEL ANGE 3 75794 Paris See on map Region Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris Activity type Research Organisations Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 2 487 721,00
