This thesis focuses on protoplanetary disks: flattened structures of gas and dust around young stars in which planets are expected to form and grow.

Promotores: Prof.dr. A.G.G.M. Tielens, Prof.dr. L.B.F.M. Waters (UvA), Prof.dr. C. Dominik (UvA)

My work focuses on a class of astronomical objects called protoplanetary disks.

To study how planetary systems come into existence we study much younger systems still in formation.

The work presented in this thesis is based on ALMA surveys of protoplanetary disks in three star-forming regions: Lupus, OMC-2, and NGC 2024.

This research focuses on the distribution of chemical elements in protoplanetary disks, the birthplaces of planets. These disks form around young stars and contain gas and dust, from which planets grow. Ice plays a crucial role in planet formation, aiding the clumping of dust particles and influencing…

This thesis examines the link between simple molecules and the underlying structure and chemistry within protoplanetary disks - the birthplaces of planets.

A large diversity of exoplanetary systems has been found, but it is still unclear what drives this diversity.

Promotor: Prof.dr. C.U. Keller

Protoplanetary disks are the gas and dust environments where planetary systems form around young stars. Using observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) this thesis analyses the gaseous molecular reservoir, using multiple tracers to resolve the 3D structure of protoplanetary…

Planets are formed in disks of gas and dust around young stars.

Promotor: E. F. van Dishoeck, Co-promotor: C. Walsh

Detecting planets during their formation stages is crucial for understanding the history and diversity of fully developed planetary systems like our own. However, observing young planets directly is challenging because they are often deeply embedded within their host protoplanetary discs, rich in gas…

To address the fundamental questions of how life on Earth emerged and how common life may be in the Universe, it is crucial to know the chemical composition of the planet-forming material.

Promotores: Prof.dr. E.F. van Dishoeck, Prof.dr. C.P. Dullemond

The formation of stars and planets happens over multiple scales, which can interact. In particular, planet formation happens in the dense, complex environment of star forming regions.

This thesis discusses the physical and chemical processes than influence the composition of forming planets.

In the past decade many population studies have been performed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to understand the bulk properties of protoplanetary disks around young stars. These population studies mostly consisted of low mass stars, with relatively few of the disks around…

This thesis takes steps toward understanding the interaction between gas-phase and solid-state molecules in star- and planet-forming regions.

This thesis is a (biased) journey through very different topics in astrophysics: quasars and new populations of active galactic nuclei, gravitational waves from merging black holes, and protoplanetary discs around young stars.

This thesis focusses on the temperature structure in protoplanetary disks. The relation between structures seen in the dust and gas-phase molecules is investigated.

The focus of this thesis is how stars like our Sun and planets like Jupiter, Saturn, and Earth are formed.

We have conducted a full spectral line survey of the 3-13 micron region of two massive protostars, AFGL 2591 and AFGL 2136, for the first time at high spectral resolution.

High-angular-resolution observations of the circumstellar material have uncovered numerous and very diverse substructures in protoplanetary discs, raising the question of whether they are caused by forming planets or other mechanisms.

Circumstellar discs are the reservoirs of gas and dust that surround young stars and have the potential to become planetary systems.

When a star is born in our Galaxy, it is quite likely that it has formed within a massive cluster, which hosts numerous high-mass stars bathing their lower mass neighbours in UV radiation.

Promotor: Prof.dr. E.F. van Dishoeck, Co-Promotor: M.R. Hogerheijde

This thesis describes the development and validation of new high-contrast imaging techniques, with the ultimate goal of enabling the next generation of instruments for ELT-class telescopes to directly image Earth-like extra-solar planets orbiting around nearby stars.

Ons zonnestelsel ontstond waarschijnlijk op dezelfde manier als de meeste andere planetenstelsels bij ons in de buurt. Dat blijkt uit Duits-Oostenrijks-Nederlands onderzoek aan meer dan 870 planeetvormende schijven in de Orionwolk A. De vijf onderzoekers, onder wie drie van de Leidse Sterrewacht, publiceren…

Voor het eerst hebben astronomen complexe organische moleculen gedetecteerd in de protoplanetaire schijf rond een jonge ster. De ontdekking, gedaan met de Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chili, bevestigt opnieuw dat de omstandigheden waaruit aarde en zon zijn voortgekomen niet…

De onderzoeksvoorstellen van wiskundige Peter Bruin, natuurkundige Daniela Kraft, bio-farmaceut Rawi Ramautar en sterrenkundige Catherine Walsh en nog 7 onderzoeksvoorstellen van talentvolle Leidse wetenschappers zijn gehonoreerd met een Veni-subsidie van 250.000 euro. Landelijk zijn 155 Veni’s vers…

14 veelbelovende Leidse onderzoekers kunnen de komende jaren hun onderzoeksplan realiseren dankzij een Veni-financiering van NWO. De subsidies zijn dit jaar onder meer toegekend aan onderzoek naar de invloed van lawaai op het functioneren van koolmezen, voorwaarden voor de evolutie van leven op planeten,…