High-angular-resolution observations of the circumstellar material have uncovered numerous and very diverse substructures in protoplanetary discs, raising the question of whether they are caused by... Show moreHigh-angular-resolution observations of the circumstellar material have uncovered numerous and very diverse substructures in protoplanetary discs, raising the question of whether they are caused by forming planets or other mechanisms. This dissertation focuses on interpreting gas substructures in discs in the context of disc winds and planet-disc interactions. A special focus is put on transition discs, which show dust (and gas) depleted inner regions and represent ideal laboratories to observe planet formation in action and test disc evolution models. Radiative transfer and hydrodynamical models are combined to investigate photoevaporative winds acting in discs in which volatile carbon is reduced. Compared to solar metallicity discs, photoevaporative winds are stronger in such carbon-depleted discs, resulting in higher mass-loss rates and profiles that extend to larger radii. This may explain more of the observed transition disc population. Furthermore, a large number of transition discs are analysed through CO ALMA observations in terms of substructures in the kinematics and brightness temperatures. In particular, two sources, CQ Tau and HD 100546, are studied in detail and the analysis reveals prominent spiral features in both discs. Together with other substructures, these point towards ongoing planet formation. Show less
Circumstellar discs are the reservoirs of gas and dust that surround young stars and have the potential to become planetary systems. Their evolution will determine the time and material available... Show moreCircumstellar discs are the reservoirs of gas and dust that surround young stars and have the potential to become planetary systems. Their evolution will determine the time and material available to form planets. Studying the evolution of circumstellar discs can then help us understand planet formation and the diversity of observed planetary systems. These discs develop almost immediately after star formation, as a direct consequence of the collapse of a molecular cloud and angular momentum conservation. Their surroundings are rich in gas and neighbouring stars, which can be hostile to the discs and affect their evolution in different ways: dynamical encounters with nearby stars can truncate the discs; stellar winds and supernovae explosions can truncate, tilt, or completely destroy the discs; and the presence of bright, massive stars in the vicinity of circumstellar discs can heat their surface enough to evaporate mass from them. This process, known as external photoevaporation, is arguably one of the most important environmental mechanisms in depleting mass from young circumstellar discs. The work performed for this thesis consisted of simulating the early evolution of circumstellar discs in star clusters and the effects of the environment, in particular, truncations due to close encounters and photoevaporation. The results show that photoevaporation is extremely efficient in removing mass from the discs, greatly limiting the amount of material and time available to form planets. Show less
