Gas kinematics are an important part of the planet formation process. Turbulence influences planetesimal growth and migration from the scale of sub-micron dust grains through gas-giant planets. Radio observations of resolved molecular line emission can directly measure this non-thermal motion and, taking advantage of the layered chemical structure of disks, different molecular lines can be combined to map the turbulence throughout the vertical extent of a protoplanetary disk. Here we present ALMA observations of three molecules (DCO + (3-2), C 18 O(2-1) and CO(2-1)) from the disk around HD 163296. We are able to place stringent upper limits (v turb <0.06c s , <0.05c s and <0.04c s for CO(2-1), C 18 O(2-1) and DCO + (3-2) respectively), corresponding to α 3×10 −3 , similar to our prior limit derived from CO(3-2). This indicates that there is little turbulence throughout the vertical extent of the disk, contrary to theoretical predictions based on the magneto-rotational instability and gravito-turbulence. In modeling the DCO + emission we also find that it is confined to three concentric rings at 65.7±0.9 au, 149.9 +0.5 −0.7 au and 259±1 au, indicative of a complex chemical environment.

In the last twenty years, the topic of episodic accretion has gained significant interest in the star formation community. It is now viewed as a common, though still poorly understood, phenomenon in low-mass star formation. The FU Orionis objects (FUors) are long-studied examples of this phenomenon. FUors are believed to undergo accretion outbursts during which the accretion rate rapidly increases from typically 10 −7 to a few 10 −4 M⊙ yr −1 , and remains elevated over several decades or more. EXors, a loosely defined class of pre-main sequence stars, exhibit shorter and repetitive outbursts, associated with lower accretion rates. The relationship between the two classes, and their connection to the standard pre-main sequence evolutionary sequence, is an open question: do they represent two distinct classes, are they triggered by the same physical mechanism, and do they occur in the same evolutionary phases? Over the past couple of decades, many theoretical and numerical models have been developed to explain the origin of FUor and EXor outbursts. In parallel, such accretion bursts have been detected at an increasing rate, and as observing techniques improve each individual outburst is studied in increasing detail. We summarize key observations of pre-main sequence star outbursts, and review the latest thinking on outburst triggering mechanisms, the propagation of outbursts from star/disk to disk/jet systems, the relation between classical EXors and FUors, and newly discovered outbursting sources -all of which shed new light on episodic accretion. We finally highlight some of the most promising directions for this field in the near-and long-term.

Herschel has shown that filamentary structures are ubiquitous in star-forming regions, in particular in nearby molecular clouds associated with Gould's Belt. High dynamic range far-infrared imaging of the Musca cloud with SPIRE and PACS reveals at least two types of filamentary structures: (1) the main ∼10-pc scale high column-density linear filament; and (2) low column-density striations in close proximity to the main filament. In addition, we find features with intermediate column densities (hair-like strands) that appear physically connected to the main filament. We present an analysis of this filamentary network traced by Herschel and explore its connection with the local magnetic field. We find that both the faint dust emission striations and the plane-of-the-sky (POS) magnetic field are locally oriented close to perpendicular to the high-density main filament (position angle ∼25−35 • ). The low-density striations and strands are oriented parallel to the POS magnetic field lines, which are derived previously from optical polarization measurements of background stars and more recently from Planck observations of dust polarized emission. The position angles are 97 ± 25 • , 105 ± 7 • , and 105 ± 5 • . From these observations, we propose a scenario in which local interstellar material in this cloud has condensed into a gravitationally-unstable filament (with "supercritical" mass per unit length) that is accreting background matter along field lines through the striations. We also compare the filamentary structure in Musca with what is seen in similar Herschel observations of the Taurus B211/3 filament system and find that there is significantly less substructure in the Musca main filament than in the B211/3 filament. We suggest that the Musca cloud may represent an earlier evolutionary stage in which the main filament has not yet accreted sufficient mass and energy to develop a multiple system of intertwined filamentary components.

The 30 Myr old A3-type star HD 21997 is one of the two known debris dust disks having a measurable amount of cold molecular gas. With the goal of understanding the physical state, origin, and evolution of the gas in young debris disks, we obtained CO line observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Here we report on the detection of 12 CO and 13 CO in the J=2-1 and J=3-2 transitions and C 18 O in the J=2-1 line. The gas exhibits a Keplerian velocity curve, one of the few direct measurements of Keplerian rotation in young debris disks. The measured CO brightness distribution could be reproduced by a simple star+disk system, whose parameters are r in < 26 AU, r out = 138 ± 20 AU, M * = 1.8 +0.5 −0.2 M ⊙ , and i = 32. • 6 ± 3. • 1. The total CO mass, as calculated from the optically thin C 18 O line, is about (4-8)×10 −2 M ⊕ , while the CO line ratios suggest a radiation temperature on the order of 6-9 K. Comparing our results with those obtained for the dust component of the HD 21997 disk from the ALMA continuum observations by Moór et al., we conclude that comparable amounts of CO gas and dust are present in the disk. Interestingly, the gas and dust in the HD 21997 system are not co-located, indicating a dust-free inner gas disk within 55 AU of the star. We explore two possible scenarios for the origin of the gas. A secondary origin, which involves gas production from colliding or active planetesimals, would require unreasonably high gas production rates and would not explain why the gas and dust are not co-located. We propose that HD 21997 is a hybrid system where secondary debris dust and primordial gas coexist. HD 21997, whose age exceeds both the model predictions for disk clearing and the ages of the oldest T Tauri-like or transitional gas disks in the literature, may be a key object linking the primordial and the debris phases of disk evolution.

According to the current paradigm of circumstellar disk evolution, gas-rich primordial disks evolve into gas-poor debris disks composed of second-generation dust. To explore the transition between these phases, we searched for 12 CO, 13 CO, and C 18 O emission in seven dust-rich debris disks around young A-type stars, using ALMA in Band 6. We discovered molecular gas in three debris disks. In all these disks, the 12 CO line was optically thick, highlighting the importance of less abundant molecules in reliable mass estimates. Supplementing our target list by literature data, we compiled a volume-limited sample of dust-rich debris disks around young A-type stars within 150 pc. We obtained a CO detection rate of 11/16 above a 12 CO J=2-1 line luminosity threshold of ∼1.4×10 4 Jy km s −1 pc 2 in the sample. This high incidence implies that the presence of CO gas in bright debris disks around young A-type stars is likely more the rule than the exception. Interestingly, dust-rich debris disks around young FG-type stars exhibit, with the same detectability threshold as for A-type stars, significantly lower gas incidence. While the transition from protoplanetary to debris phase is associated with a drop of dust content, our results exhibit a large spread in the CO mass in our debris sample, with peak values comparable to those in protoplanetary Herbig Ae disks. In the particularly CO-rich debris systems the gas may have primordial origin, characteristic of a hybrid disk.

The paper presents new high angular resolution ALMA 1.3 mm dust continuum observations of the protoplanetary system AS 209 in the Ophiuchus star forming region. The dust continuum emission is characterized by a main central core and two prominent rings at r = 75 au and r = 130 au intervaled by two gaps at at r = 62 au and r = 103 au. The two gaps have different widths and depths, with the inner one being narrower and shallower. We determined the surface density of the millimeter dust grains using the 3D radiative transfer disk code dali. According to our fiducial model the inner gap is partially filled with millimeter grains while the outer gap is largely devoid of dust. The inferred surface density is compared to 3D hydrodynamical simulations (FARGO-3D) of planet-disk interaction. The outer dust gap is consistent with the presence of a giant planet (M planet ∼ 0.8 M Staturn ); the planet is responsible for the gap opening and for the pile-up of dust at the outer edge of the planet orbit. The simulations also show that the same planet can give origin to the inner gap at r = 62 au. The relative position of the two dust gaps is close to the 2:1 resonance and we have investigated the possibility of a second planet inside the inner gap. The resulting surface density (including location, width and depth of the two dust gaps) are in agreement with the observations. The properties of the inner gap pose a strong constraint to the mass of the inner planet (M planet < 0.1 M J ). In both scenarios (single or pair of planets), the hydrodynamical simulations suggest a very low disk viscosity (α < 10 −4 ). Given the young age of the system (0.5 -1 Myr), this result implies that the formation of giant planets occurs on a timescale of 1 Myr.

The second Gaia Data Release (DR2) contains astrometric and photometric data for more than 1.6 billion objects with mean Gaia G magnitude <20.7, including many Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) in different evolutionary stages. In order to explore the YSO population of the Milky Way, we combined the Gaia DR2 database with WISE and Planck measurements and made an all-sky probabilistic catalogue of YSOs using machine learning techniques, such as Support Vector Machines, Random Forests, or Neural Networks. Our input catalogue contains 103 million objects from the DR2xAllWISE cross-match table. We classified each object into four main classes: YSOs, extragalactic objects, main-sequence stars and evolved stars. At a 90% probability threshold we identified 1 129 295 YSO candidates. To demonstrate the quality and potential of our YSO catalogue, here we present two applications of it. (1) We explore the 3D structure of the Orion A star forming complex and show that the spatial distribution of the YSOs classified by our procedure is in agreement with recent results from the literature. (2) We use our catalogue to classify published Gaia Science Alerts. As Gaia measures the sources at multiple epochs, it can efficiently discover transient events, including sudden brightness changes of YSOs caused by dynamic processes of their circumstellar disk. However, in many cases the physical nature of the published alert sources are not known. A cross-check with our new catalogue shows that about 30% more of the published Gaia alerts can most likely be attributed to YSO activity. The catalogue can be also useful to identify YSOs among future Gaia alerts.

Gas-rich primordial disks and tenuous gas-poor debris disks are usually considered as two distinct evolutionary phases of the circumstellar matter. Interestingly, the debris disk around the young mainsequence star 49 Ceti possesses a substantial amount of molecular gas, and possibly represents the missing link between the two phases. Motivated to understand the evolution of the gas component in circumstellar disks via finding more 49 Ceti-like systems, we carried out a CO J=3−2 survey with Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment, targeting 20 infrared-luminous debris disks. These systems fill the gap between primordial and old tenuous debris disks in terms of fractional luminosity. Here we report on the discovery of a second 49 Ceti-like disk around the 30 Myr old A3-type star HD21997, a member of the Columba Association. This system was also detected in the CO(2−1) transition, and the reliable age determination makes it an even clearer example of an old gas-bearing disk than 49 Ceti. While the fractional luminosities of HD21997 and 49 Ceti are not particularly high, these objects seem to harbor the most extended disks within our sample. The double-peaked profiles of HD21997 were reproduced by a Keplerian disk model combined with the LIME radiative transfer code. Based on their similarities, 49 Ceti and HD21997 may be the first representatives of a so far undefined new class of relatively old ( 8 Myr), gaseous dust disks. From our results, neither primordial origin nor steady secondary production from icy planetesimals can unequivocally explain the presence of CO gas in the disk of HD21997.