Chemistry and Radial Drift Shape the Composition of Protoplanetary Discs - Tamara Molyarova
When: Friday, October 16, 2026, 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Where: G. O. Jones, Room 610, Mile End
Speaker: Tamara Molyarova (University of Leeds)
Title: Chemistry and Radial Drift Shape the Composition of Protoplanetary Discs
Abstract:
The chemical composition of protoplanetary discs traces their physical conditions and the processes shaping their evolution. Recent JWST observations reveal a diversity of inner disc compositions, as well as correlations with system properties, such as stellar mass and age, accretion rate, and the presence of substructures. These correlations have been attributed to dust radial drift bringing ice-rich material from the outer disc regions. In this work, I model dust evolution and radial drift in a protoplanetary disc together with chemical reactions across a range of disc properties, and show how chemical evolution can modify the impact of radial drift on the inner disc composition over timescales of a few Myr. I predict correlations between observable disc properties and chemical composition, and compare these predictions with existing JWST observations.