Star and Planet formation
MIRI will let us image protoplanetary disks at exquisite resolution. The MIRI beam at 6 um corresponds to only 30 - 35 AU for nearby protostars, compared with estimated sizes of hundreds of AU for protoplanetary disks, so it will be possible to obtain many resolution elements across these structures. Spectroscopic measurements will allow us to probe the mineralogy and the state of the gas in protoplanetary disks, including the molecular hydrogen as well as raw materials for life such as water and hydrocarbons.
The digram below is VLA 1623 in the submm (left; Wilson et al. 1999), and artist's concept (right, Greene, private communication). The MIRI beam at 7 µm is at the top of the artist's concept.
