CARMA Observations of Proto-planetary Disks: Initial Conditions and Evolution
First Author:
Andrea Isella
Email: isella AT astro.caltech.edu
Caltech
1200 E. California Blvd
MC 105-24, Pasadena, CA 91125
Coauthors:
Carpenter, John M., Caltech
Sargent, Anneila F., Caltech
Abstract
Using the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA) we have recently constrained the radial dust density distribution in 11 circumstellar proto-planetary disks in Taurus and Ophiucus star forming regions. We observe clear correlations between the disk properties (i.e., the disk radius and the shape of the surface density) and the stellar age. In the talk I will discuss these correlations in the framework of viscous disk models which enable us to constrain the initial disk structure. Finally I will discuss the effects of the disk evolution on the dust radial distribution deriving a possible time scale for the planetary formation in the observed circumstellar disks.
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