Multi-wavelength Polarization as a Probe of Planet Formation

Polarization reveals details of circumstellar disks that are not readily available from total intensity observations. Via multi-wavelength polarimetric observations of disks, we can trace how planets form, how dust grains evolve at the onset of planet formation, and how magnetic fields (B-fields) influence accretion. Since polarized emission from these disks is typically at levels from 0.5% to a few percent of the total emission, very high sensitivities are needed. Current ALMA capabilities make these key measurements of protoplanetary disks challenging due to (1) long integrations with separate observations to measure multi-wavelength polarization of substructures, (2) prohibitive time requests to observe large samples of disks, (3) limited sensitivity and frequency coverage for polarization in spectral lines; and (4) insufficient calibration of polarization in all the Stokes parameters. An ALMA2040 with large collecting area, increased bandwidth with multi-band capabilities, and accurate polarization calibration will provide a great leap in our understanding of the formation of protoplanets through polarization. Specifically, such an ALMA2040 can use polarized emission from the continuum and spectral lines to: (A) provide stringent tests of streaming instabilities; (B) accurately constrain grain shape, size, porosity, and alignment; (C) resolve polarization of substructures for a large sample of disks with resolutions less than 5 au; (D) quickly survey 100s of disks; and (E) measure the B-field strength and morphology of disks.

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