INtegrated Tracer analysis for Embedded planet Recognition

Objective

The discovery and characterisation of young planets in their natal protoplanetary discs is one of the most pressing frontiers in modern astrophysics. Directly observing these planets’ emission is challenging as they are often deeply embedded in their birth place, but their presence can still be revealed through the perturbations they induce on the surrounding gas motions and chemistry. The INTER project will combine the high-resolution and sensitivity of state-of-the-art telescopes such as ALMA, NOEMA, VLT/SPHERE+, and VLT/ERIS, with novel data-analysis and image-processing techniques to carry out the first statistically significant study of embedded planets across 40 planet-forming discs, together with the chemistry of their circumplanetary regions. By integrating the robust detection of complementary planet-driven features including (i) gas kinematic perturbations, (ii) chemical anomalies, (iii) thermal infrared emission, and (iv) accretion signatures, INTER will deliver the first population-level constraints on key missing properties such as the mass and luminosity of embedded planets, crucial for reconstructing the history and diversity of planetary systems like our own. Looking ahead, the legacy data and techniques generated by the project will be directly transferrable to next-generation planet-hunting campaigns with ELT/METIS, setting a new paradigm for studies of how planets form and evolve.