PhD ceremony Aditya Mahadeva Arabhavi

On 16 September 2025 Aditya Mahadeva Arabhavi
defends his thesis called Unraveling the planet-forming materials around young stars with JWST.

Summary of his thesis
Planets form in disks of gas and dust around young stars. This thesis studies the chemistry of the inner, terrestrial planet-forming regions with JWST. Disks around the smallest stars are found to be unexpectedly rich in hydrocarbons, while water and CO2 are also detected. Hydrocarbons dominate the spectra, often outshining water emission. Models show that the absolute amounts of carbon and oxygen, not just their ratio, shape the spectra. These results reveal rich and diverse environments that set the chemical stage for rocky planets.

Link to Aditya's thesis:
Unraveling the planet-forming materials around young stars with JWST