SUMMARY

STELLAR AND PLANETARY ASTROPHYSICS

• Trace the processes that give rise to stars and their planetary systems
• Identify where and when and how often planets form (is our solar system "typical")
• Image planets around nearby stars

EXPLORE THE EPOCH WHEN STARS AND PRE-PLANETARY DISKS FIRST TAKE FORM

• Trace infalling gas from the outer envelope to the disk centrifugal radius
• Determine the morphology and kinematics of the envelope; quantify M infall j
• MAXAT: Resolve envelopes in scales of 2 - 5 AU (10-25 mas); Rc ~ 10 AU
• obtain spectra (R~10⁵) of molecular tracers
• (derive M)
• MMA: rich array of molecular tracers restricted to r >15 AU
• NGST: r >15 AU; no high resolution capability 

THE EPOCH WHEN PLANETS TAKE FORM

• Observe gaps in disks via resolution of absorption lines formed in a Keplerian disk

• R~10⁵ spectroscopy S/N >>100

• MAXAT sensitivity allows surveys of >>10s of systems (required to understand patterns)

• (maybe) resolved spectroscopy of CH - stretch features
• (with interferometric capability):

• understand the parsing of mass/ang momentum
• (1 mas at T-A =>region where jets launched)

OBSERVE MATURING AND MATURE PLANETARY SYSTEMS

• Image Jupiter mass planets around stars to distances of ~100 pc
• Characterize atmospheres through spectroscopy
• Search for gas signatures in systems with ages 10-100 Myr.
• MAXAT: spatial resolution (~10 mas) required to image planets r < 5 AU
• NGST and (MMA?) will do this with 1/5x angular resolution (not enough volume)