Studying ExoKuiper belts through ALMA observations
speaker: Sebastian Marino
Abstract:
Planetary systems are not only composed of planets but also of minor bodies similar to asteroids and comets, which we typically find in belts analogous to the Asteroid and Kuiper belt in the Solar System. Although we cannot detect these bodies individually, mutual collisions between these km-sized planetesimals produce high dust levels that are readily detectable in exoKuiper belts around 30% of nearby stars. These planetesimals form as a byproduct of planet formation and their distribution is shaped by the presence of planets in a similar way as the Asteroid and the Kuiper belts were shaped by Jupiter and Neptune. Therefore, these belts provide unique and complementary constraints on the formation, architecture, and dynamics of planetary systems. In this Colloquium, I will show how I have used ALMA and numerical simulations to constrain the radial structure and volatile composition of Kuiper belt analogues (exoKuiper belts), and their implications for planetesimal formation, the presence of Neptune analogues, and volatile delivery to the inner regions of planetary systems.