Unraveling the turbulent structure of the terrestrial planet-forming region

Objective

Modeling the highly dynamic inner ten au of protoplanetary disks is key to understanding the formation mechanism of solar systems. In particular, exploring the turbulent structure within such a region is crucial, as turbulence can have a substantial impact on how terrestrial planets form from the gas and dust of the disk. In my project, `InnerDisk: Unraveling the turbulent structure of the terrestrial planet forming region', I will develop a comprehensive multidimensional non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic simulation of the turbulent inner disk region. By coupling the dynamics of the disk's gas and dust to its thermochemical evolution, I will connect the simulation results to observations conducted by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). JWST has represented a significant leap in our access to the inner disk composition, delivering exquisite spectra at infrared wavelengths that probe the molecular inventory of the inner disk's surface. First, I will study how turbulent mixing connects the planet-forming disk's midplane to the disk surface, as observed by JWST. Second, I will explore the efficiency of the inner disk turbulence in erasing the chemical composition inherited from the outer disk. Third, I will investigate the impact of naturally occurring substructures induced by a turbulence transition on the inner disk chemical inventory. Achieving `InnerDisk' objectives will enable me to understand how the disk's turbulent structure is reflected in JWST spectra of the inner protoplanetary disk, informing us about the formation environment of terrestrial planets, while also contributing to a robust interpretation of JWST data.