Author Description

This Protostars and Planets VII volume shows the current understanding of the formation of stars and planets, covering various aspects of molecular cloud and star formation, protoplanetary disk, planetary systems, and astrophysical conditions for life. A decade gap between PP6 and PP7 corresponds to substantial progress in theory and observations. Observations of protoplanetary disks by radio interferometers and other high spatial resolution telescopes have provided many fantastic images that are stimulating theoretical investigations in the context of planet formation. The advent of modern polarimetry observations in millimeter and sub-millimeter wavelengths that enable the magnetic field line measurement in the interstellar clouds and the radio wavelength scattering by the relatively large dust grains in protoplanetary disks. Ground-based and space observations of exo-planets provide a large statistical database for the study of planet formation. The sample-return missions of the small bodies in Solar System have provided direct insight into the composition of primordial materials. This PP7 book is expected to serve as an essential resource for our understanding of the formation of stars and planets.