Planet Formation and Protoplanetary Disks Group (Prof. Birnstiel)

Professor Birnstiel and his group work towards understanding the processes involved in the formation of planets. The group uses mainly computational tools to model and simulate the structure and evolution of circumstellar disks and the growth processes that lead from sub-micrometer sized dust particles all the way to terrestrial planets or giant planets.

High-resolution images of planet-forming disks from the DSHARP Project (Andrews, ..., Birnstiel et al. 2018). These radio observations show the heat radiation from cold dust and how it is distributed in the disks. Rings are thought to be caused by planets that are invisible in these observations.

News

Current Research

Cross Section of a Protoplanetary Disk

© Til Birnstiel et al.

Recent Video

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A lecture by Professor Birnstiel at the Deutsches Museum in Munich about the formation of planets.

1:22:55 | 11 Jan 2023

Publications

Recent Publications

All image credits: Birnstiel et al.

Simulation of a turbulent accretion disk around a young star. The structures arise from hydrodynamic instability, which leads to turbulence. Here we simulate how the turbulence stirs up the building material of planets (dust particles) and how the dust in turn influences the turbulence.

Dust density and dust movement in a planet-forming disk, shown as LIC (Line Integral Convolution). The planet (=point in the lower half, middle) creates density disturbances in the disk, so-called dust traps. Dust is located in a vortex (right) or in a horseshoe-shaped area around the planet.

Simulation of dust in a planet-forming disk around a young star. The planet causes disturbances in the gas disk. This creates a vortex, which in turn captures dust.

Group Members

Prof. Dr. Til Birnstiel

Professor for theoretical astrophysics

Dr. Asmita Bhandare
Dr. Asmita Bhandare

Research Fellow

Portrait Nicolas Kaufmann
Dr. Nicolas Kaufmann

Research Fellow

Dr. Sebastian Stammler
Dr. Sebastian Stammler

Research Fellow

Dr. Alexandros Ziampras

Research Fellow

Luca Delussu
Luca Delussu

PhD Student

Giovanni Tedeschi
Giovanni Tedeschi

PhD Student

Haichen Zhao
Haichen Zhao

Master's student

Khushboo

Intern

Former Members