A sharper view: observations of planet-forming disks with JWST

Abstract: Protoplanetary disks represent the evolutionary link between molecular clouds and planets. Knowledge of their molecular inventory is the key to unveil the chemical trail leading to life, yet too few observational constraints of disks exist at infrared wavelengths. This wavelength regime enables to study the solid (dust and ice) and gas reservoirs of inner disks where terrestrial planets and sub-Neptunes form. Compared to previous IR facilities, the JWST MIRI instrument offers unprecedented sensitivity, spatial resolution (R=3400-1600), and spectral coverage (5-28 µm). In this occasion, I will present an overview of observations of Class II disks as part of two JWST programs: the ERS Ice Age and the MIRI Mid-INfrared Disk Survey (MINDS). The much higher spectral resolution of MIRI MRS compared with previous Spitzer spectroscopy (R=100, 600) reveals a diverse chemistry in the gas of inner disk regions as well as it enables to map ices in edge-on disks. We find evidence of volatile trapping in the inclined HH 48 NE disk. These findings add a level of complexity in our understanding of how exoplanetary atmospheres relate to their formation histories.