< Back to previous page

Project

Disks around evolved binary stars: Stellar retirement homes and exoplanet nurseries?

It is now well establised that half of all Sun-like stars are actually binaries (i.e. two stars orbiting each other). In such systems, the most massive star will evolve faster, swell and interact with its companion, losing mass in the process. For Sun-like stars, this interaction produces a disk of dust and gas that surrounds the binary system. These disks are thought to influence the binary orbital parameters and stellar evolution through resonances and mass accretion. However, such processes are very poorly constrained by systematic observations. While still very little is known about these disks, first observations show many similarities with planet-forming disks found around young stars, raising the fascinating and yet unanswered question of whether exoplanets can form around evolved stars. If we find that the answer is positive and that those disks are indeed the craddle of recently discovered secondgeneration planet candidates, a new avenue in exoplanet research will open. This project aims to constrain binary-disk interactions and will hunt for evidence of planet formation around evolved stars. To achieve this, we will study these disks using cutting edge spatially resolved observations and data analysis (machine learning) to understand their structure and physical properties. This project is founded on a large observing campaign I lead on 5 world-class instruments including an awarded Large Programme (250h) at the European Southern Observatory Interferometer (VLTI).
 

Date:1 Nov 2020 →  19 Mar 2023
Keywords:stellar evolution, exoplanets, high angular resolution observations
Disciplines:Infrared and optical astronomy, Solar systems and exoplanets, Stellar astrophysics