ALMA Observations of Planet-Forming Disks

It is readily agreed upon that planets form in disks of gas and dust around young stars. ALMA has revealed a wide diversity of dust structures in several nearby sources which may be due to unseen planets. However, there remain many knowledge gaps, especially concerning the effects of planets on the disk chemical structure. A combined observational and theoretical study of the molecular composition and structure of planet-forming disks will be conducted. High spatial- and spectral-resolution ALMA data of molecular line emission from nearby disks will be analysed, using a suite of sophisticated modelling tools, to determine the abundance, distribution, and kinematics of primary volatiles that are observable with ALMA. Interpretation of the results will be guided by current state-of-the art knowledge on disk chemistry, planet-disk interactions, and dust- and gas-sculpting of disks due to hidden, forming planets.