MODELS OF DISK ATMOSPHERES ALSO PROVIDE VALUABLE INPUT INTO MODELS OF DISK CHEMISTRY IN THE DISK MIDPLANE. SINCE STELLAR UV PHOTONS THAT IRRADIATE THE DISK MUST PASS THROUGH THE DISK ATMOSPHERE MODELS OF DISK ATMOSPHERES ARE NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE UV _ELD REACHES THE INTERIOR OF THE DISK. STELLAR UV RADIATION HAS A DUAL ROLE IN MOLECULAR SYNTHESIS AS IT BOTH DESTROYS MOLECULES AND CREATES RADICALS THAT CAN LEAD TO GREATER CHEMICAL COMPLEXITY. HERE WE PROPOSE TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS BY BUILDING ON OUR EARLIER SUCCESS IN DEVELOPING MODELS OF DISK ATMOSPHERES. WE WILL EXTEND THE MODELS TO DESCRIBE THE TIME-DEPENDENT CHEMICAL EVOLUTION OF GAS AND SOLIDS IN THE INNER REGION FOCUSING ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF WATER AND ORGANICS. OUR AIM IS TO MAKE PREDICTIONS OF THE OBSERVABLE PROPERTIES OF DISKS AT VARIOUS AGES ALONG THE TIMELINE OF PLANET FORMATION WHICH CAN BE DIAGNOSTIC OF THE RADIATION ENVIRONMENT AND CHEMISTRY BELOW THE DISK ATMOSPHERE. IN THE FOLLOWING WE DESCRIBE THE CURRENT STATE OF OUR SUITE OF MODELS DETAIL THE TREATMENT OF RADIATIVE TRANSFER AND THE EXPANSION OF OUR METHODOLOGY TO ADDITIONAL MOLECULAR PROCESSES AND ILLUSTRATE THE CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS THAT CAN BE INFORMED BY OUR MODELS AND EVALUATED OBSERVATIONALLY.

Clemson University, Clemson SC

Investigators