DISCO: DISks in COntext 

Rationale

Traditionally, planet-forming disks were thought to evolve in isolation to form planetary systems like our Solar System. Recent studies, however, increasingly show that these disks instead evolve within complex and dynamic environments. External irradiation from massive stars, infall of fresh material from surrounding clouds, and perturbations from stellar flybys can significantly alter physical and compositional properties of planet-forming disks. However, the relative importance of these processes, and how they operate across different star-forming environments remains poorly understood.

This conference aims to synthesize emerging results from various observational facilities, including ALMA, JWST, VLA, and VLT, together with theoretical and numerical models, to place planet-forming disks firmly in their environmental context. By bringing together researchers working across observations and theory, we aim to identify key physical mechanisms impacting disk evolution and planet formation, and define priorities for future coordinated observing and modeling efforts.

Abstracts have been circulated, and the final registration is now open. Please register only if you have been confirmed for a conference spot (e.g., an oral or poster presentation). To complete your registration, please follow these three steps:

1. Fill out the NRAO security screening form: info.nrao.edu/oas/dpscompliance.
   Please write "Arielle Moullet, Drew Maerz, DISCO conference" in the ‘host’ field, and  tick "Charlottesville, VA - Edgemont Road (ER)” and "Green Bank, WV - Science Center, housing, or other public facilities" in the ’facility’ field.  Note that ‘residence of record’ refers to the location of the attendee’s residence.

2. Pay registration fees of $147.99 via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.com/e/disco-disks-in-context-tickets-1981499474268?aff=oddtdtcreator. If this registration fee presents a significant burden, please let us know. 

3. Fill out the registration form: forms.gle/Eg7DDYjGnXWUbDQFA
   
   

We kindly ask you to register by July 20, 2026. Feel free to let us know if you will need more time. 

If you have not received information on abstract selection or registration details, please check your spam folder. To make sure you receive future updates, please add disksincontext@gmail.com to your contacts/safe senders list.

TBD

National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)

520 Edgemont Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22903