![CPD continuum flux densities at 345 GHz for different planet masses and separations. The dots mark the solar system gas giants, the directly imaged planets in PDS 70 and WISPIT 2, and candidate protoplanets in disc gaps. For comparison, the distribution of fully formed gas giants is shown (top panel). The white curves display sensitivity limits. -- [astro-ph.IM]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Planet-formation.png?fit=1200%2C673&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.IM] Giant planets are often regarded as primordial protoplanetary “architects”. Their formation and interactions with planetesimals and other planets during and after the protoplanetary disc phase are key to setting the blueprint of the planetary systems we observe today.
Catching nascent gas giants is our best opportunity to uncover these crucial steps in the planet formation process and shed light on the origins of our own solar system. Over the last decade, ALMA has revolutionised our understanding of planet formation; still, detecting signatures of Jupiter-like planets has remained out of reach.
We argue that ALMA2040, a next-generation sub(mm) interferometer with improved sensitivity (×25 in the continuum and ×10 for line emission) and a ×3 higher angular resolution compared to ALMA, will be sensitive to (sub)mm emission around a forming Jupiter-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star within 150pc and allow kinematically characterising interactions of Jovian and sub-Jovian planets with their natal disc.
ALMA2040 will provide unique and unprecedented insights into how gas giants carve gaps, accrete material, form satellites, and affect the architectures of their co-evolving planetary systems.
Francesco Zagaria, Andrés F. Izquierdo, Jaehan Bae, Philippine Griveaud, Richard A. Booth, Pietro Curone, Anders Johansen, Stefano Facchini, Myriam Benisty, Tilman Birnstiel, Alice Booth, Ondřej Chrenko, Ian Czekala, Kiyoaki Doi, Greta Guidi, Mihkel Kama, Quentin Kral, Charles Law, Giuseppe Lodato, Patricia Luppe, Enrique Macias, Liton Majumdar, Rebecca Nealon, Anna Penzlin, Danae Polychroni, Daniel J. Price, Álvaro Ribas, Richard Teague, Claudia Toci, Diego Turrini, Antranik A. Sefilian, Yuhito Shibaike, Dimitris Stamatellos, Ewa Szuszkiewicz, Catherine Walsh
Comments: Part of the ALMA2040 White Paper Series
Subjects: Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM); Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
Cite as: arXiv:2610.21906 [astro-ph.IM] (or arXiv:2610.21906v1 [astro-ph.IM] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2610.21906
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Submission history
From: Francesco Zagaria
[v1] Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:57:11 UTC (1,841 KB)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.21906
Astrobiology,
