Formation and evolution of planetary systems

The new generation of astronomical instruments, the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) and adaptive optics systems, offers revolutionary views of forming planetary systems around young stars. This project aims to build urgently needed theoretical interpretation to the observed rings, gaps and spirals in protoplanetary discs. Expected outcomes are a novel world-first computer algorithm combining radiation and hydrodynamics, widely applicable in astronomy, atmospheric science and engineering and constraints on the processes of planet formation. The anticipated outcome of this project is to pinpoint the regions where the dust grains grow to form the building blocks of planets.