Planets form in disks around young stars. The main component of such disks, cold H2, cannot be observed directly and we therefore rely on observations of minor constituents, dust and trace molecules, to characterize disk structures and compositions. Molecular abundances are generally sensitive to their local environment and spatially and spectrally resolved observations of molecular lines have a large untapped potential as probes of disk density, temperature and radiation profiles. Molecular abundances are also important to characterize in their own right, to constrain the bulk composition of forming planets, and the presence of complex organic species. Interpretations of molecular line observations depend critically on our understanding of molecular formation and destruction mechanisms, however, which is often limited, especially for chemical processes in the icy mantles of dust grains.I will present new millimeter wavelength molecular line observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and the Submillimeter Array (SMA) toward a sample of protoplanetary disks and discuss how these chemical images, together with complementary observations and laboratory astrochemical experiments, constrain the chemical pathways active during planet formation. I will focus on interactions between gas-phase molecules and icy grain mantles and ice chemistry, since interstellar ices are crucial both for the development of molecular complexity during star and planet formation, and for planet formation efficiencies. Based on the analysis, I will present new constraints on condensation lines in protoplanetary disks, and their potential effects on planet formation and complex molecule formation in the outer solar system.

Ice-gas interactions during planet formation

246th National Meeting (2013)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.