2017/04/01 by Barbara Ercolano, Ilaria Pascucci, Ercolano, Barbara +1 · 4 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP) #FOS: Physical sciences #astro-ph.EP
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1704.00214
29 pages, 7 figures, Invited Review for the Royal Society Open Science; replacement due to missing references
arxiv created 2017/04/04 · arxiv updated 2017/04/05
Discs of gas and dust around Myr-old stars are a by-product of the star formation process and provide the raw material to form planets. Hence, their evolution and dispersal directly impact what type of planets can form and affect the final architecture of planetary systems. Here, we review empirical constraints on disc evolution and dispersal with special emphasis on transition discs, a subset of discs that appear to be caught in the act of clearing out planet-forming material. Along with observations, we summarize theoretical models that build our physical understanding of how discs evolve and disperse and discuss their significance in the context of the formation and evolution of planetary systems. By confronting theoretical predictions with observations, we also identify the most promising areas for future progress.