Invited Presentation

The (sub)structures of Class II disks

Author(s): Jane Huang (Columbia University)

Presenter: Jane Huang (Columbia University)

Deep, high-resolution observations have revealed immense complexity in the physical structures of Class II disks. Substructures are now known to be present not only in the most massive disks of nearby star-forming regions, but also in the more typical "compact" disks as well as in disks in more highly irradiated star-forming regions. These substructures have been widely hypothesized to be either signposts of planet-disk interactions or the birthsites of planets, suggesting in either case that pathways to planet formation remain robust across different systems. Moreover, molecular emission and scattered light observations provide evidence that a substantial fraction of Class II disks are undergoing "late infall." Late infall can influence the structure of these disks in several ways, such as the creation of misaligned disks or the formation of spiral structures.