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Fukagawa Lab
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A lab that observes protoplanetary disks and exoplanets to explore how planetary systems are born.
AboutAbout the lab
Tracing the scenario of planetary system formation
The Fukagawa Lab observes protoplanetary disks and exoplanets to study how planetary systems form.
Based at the Astronomical Institute at Tohoku University, the lab uses telescopes such as the Subaru Telescope and ALMA, and works together with computations and simulations carried out by theory groups.
A protoplanetary disk is a disk of gas and solid microscopic particles (dust) surrounding a young star.
The lab's website presents it under the name "Planetary System Formation (Observation) Research Group."
Key terms
- protoplanetary disk
- A disk of gas and dust surrounding a young star. Planets are thought to form from it.
- exoplanet
- A planet orbiting a star other than the Sun. Their masses and orbits are diverse, and some differ greatly from the planets of the Solar System.
- ALMA
- A group of radio telescopes built through international collaboration in the Chilean desert. It is the main instrument for capturing the fine structures of disks.
NewsLab news
Paper by Prof. Fukagawa and colleagues published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Project Assistant Professor Vigneshwaran Krishnamurthy joins the lab
Research unit launched, with students now affiliated
ResearchResearch themes
Exoplanets orbiting stars other than the Sun have been found to include some that differ greatly from the planets of the Solar System. This lab uses a variety of instruments to study the structure and evolution of protoplanetary disks, where planets are born, and aims to connect these findings to the properties of exoplanets after formation.
*Illustrative imageObserving Disk Structure and Exoplanets
Using the Subaru Telescope, ALMA, and other facilities, the lab studies the structure of protoplanetary disks and the properties of exoplanets. Disks have fine structures such as rings, gaps, and spirals, and the lab uses observations to explore how disk evolution leads to diverse planetary systems.
*Illustrative imageTesting Planet Formation with Observations and Theory
The lab interprets the rings, gaps, and complex gas motions seen in disks by linking them to theoretical models and numerical simulations. Working with theorists, it aims to test how gas motion, magnetic fields, and pressure structure affect the accumulation and growth of dust.
*Illustrative imageReading the Evolution of Planetary Building Materials
The lab studies the properties of the gas and dust in disks, which are the materials of planets, through ALMA molecular line observations and dust continuum observations. From a perspective that connects physics and chemistry, and structure and material, it aims to clarify how these materials evolve within the disk and lead to the properties of planets.
MembersFaculty
The Fukagawa Lab's members consist of faculty, project researchers, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorMisato Fukagawa
- Project Assistant ProfessorVigneshwaran Krishnamurthy
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images.
- Top image: “Five ALMA antennas (img 2893)” D. Schreiner and S. Degezelle/ESO / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Observing Disk Structure and Exoplanets: “HL Tau protoplanetary disk” ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Testing Planet Formation with Observations and Theory: “Different jupiter like giant planet size and distance - different inner planet systems 1” Merikanto / CC0 (cropped)
- Reading the Evolution of Planetary Building Materials: “APEX view of star formation and cosmic clouds in the Orion Nebula” ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2 / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Tanaka Lab): “Planets in the Making” ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); A. Isella; B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Yamada Lab): “Subaru Telescope (6V7A4864-CC)” International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/ T. Slovinský / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Murayama Lab): “Messier83 - Heic1403a” Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Acknowledgement: William Blair (Johns Hopkins University) / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Kodama Lab): “Galaxy cluster Abell 1689 and distant galaxies ( )” Hubble ESA / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
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