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INtegrated Tracer analysis for Embedded planet Recognition

Project description

Detecting planets in their earliest moments

Planet formation unfolds in the dynamic environments of protoplanetary discs, where gas and dust interact to create new worlds. These young planets are often hidden in their birth environments and are therefore difficult to observe directly. However, their presence can be detected through subtle clues, namely the perturbations they create in the surrounding gas, chemical shifts, and faint thermal emissions. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the INTER project will use state-of-the-art telescopes to study 40 planet-forming discs. The focus will be on identifying features such as gas motion anomalies, chemical signatures, and thermal infrared emissions. This information will help uncover details about the mass, luminosity, and other elusive properties of these planets.

Objective

The discovery and characterisation of young planets in their natal protoplanetary discs is one of the most pressing frontiers in modern astrophysics. Directly observing these planets’ emission is challenging as they are often deeply embedded in their birth place, but their presence can still be revealed through the perturbations they induce on the surrounding gas motions and chemistry. The INTER project will combine the high-resolution and sensitivity of state-of-the-art telescopes such as ALMA, NOEMA, VLT/SPHERE+, and VLT/ERIS, with novel data-analysis and image-processing techniques to carry out the first statistically significant study of embedded planets across 40 planet-forming discs, together with the chemistry of their circumplanetary regions. By integrating the robust detection of complementary planet-driven features including (i) gas kinematic perturbations, (ii) chemical anomalies, (iii) thermal infrared emission, and (iv) accretion signatures, INTER will deliver the first population-level constraints on key missing properties such as the mass and luminosity of embedded planets, crucial for reconstructing the history and diversity of planetary systems like our own. Looking ahead, the legacy data and techniques generated by the project will be directly transferrable to next-generation planet-hunting campaigns with ELT/METIS, setting a new paradigm for studies of how planets form and evolve.

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Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

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Coordinator

MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
Net EU contribution
€ 217 965,12
Address
HOFGARTENSTRASSE 8
80539 MUNCHEN
Germany
Region
Berlin Berlin Berlin
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost
No data