Planet and Star Formation
Photoionisation feedback from high mass stars
Coupling of hydrodynamical simulations to a fully 3D radiative transfer and photoionisation calculations allows to make quantitative
predictions on the structure formation in the interstellar medium and the triggering of new generation of stars. This false colour
image is a composite of H recombination emission and doubly ionised oxygen emission obtained by coupling the RT code MOCASSIN to the
SPH code iVINE.
The structure and evolution of protoplanetary discs around young stars
We investigate the structure and evolution of protoplanetary discs irradiated by energetic photons (X-rays and EUV) from the central star.
The discs are photoevaporated, and disperse within a few million years, this is the timescale over which planet formation must occur.
We find that X-ray dominates the dispersal of discs around solar type stars, hence highlighting the star-disc-planet connection and the
necessity to investigate further the coupling between the the star and the planet formation process.
B. Ercolano