The Chemical Inventory of the Inner Regions of Planet-forming Disks -- The JWST/MINDS Program

TL;DR

This paper presents initial findings from the JWST/MINDS program, revealing detailed chemical inventories of inner planet-forming disks with unprecedented spectral resolution, advancing understanding of planet composition and formation processes.

Contribution

It introduces the use of JWST's mid-infrared spectroscopy to comprehensively characterize the chemical composition of inner disks, including less abundant molecules and isotopologues, surpassing previous capabilities.

Findings

First detailed chemical inventory of inner disks using JWST.

Detection of less abundant hydrocarbons and isotopologues.

Spatially resolved studies of disks and signatures of forming planets.

Abstract

The understanding of planet formation has changed recently, embracing the new idea of pebble accretion. This means that the influx of pebbles from the outer regions of planet-forming disks to their inner zones could determine the composition of planets and their atmospheres. The solid and molecular components delivered to the planet-forming region can be best characterized by mid-infrared spectroscopy. With Spitzer low-resolution (R=100, 600) spectroscopy, this approach was limited to the detection of abundant molecules such as H2O, C2H2, HCN and CO2. This contribution will present first results of the MINDS (MIRI mid-IR Disk Survey, PI: Th. Henning) project. Due do the sensitivity and spectral resolution (R~1500-3500) provided by JWST we now have a unique tool to obtain the full inventory of chemistry in the inner disks of solar-types stars and brown dwarfs, including also less abundant hydrocarbons and isotopologues. The Integral Field Unit (IFU) capabilities enable at the same time spatial studies of the continuum and line emission in extended sources such as debris disks, the flying saucer and also the search for mid-IR signatures of forming planets in systems such as PDS70. These JWST observations are complementary to ALMA and NOEMA observations of the outer disk chemistry; together these datasets provide an integral view of the processes occurring during the planet formation phase.