Unveiling the Role of Winds in Disk Evolution and Planet Formation with JWST

The architecture of planetary systems is strongly influenced by the evolution and dispersal of the planet-forming disks of dust and gas. Traditional models of disk evolution attributed angular momentum extraction and accretion to MRI-driven turbulence, while high-energy stellar radiation was thought to drive disk dispersal through photoevaporative winds. However, recent advances in theoretical studies incorporating non-ideal MHD effects challenge this paradigm, proposing that magnetically-driven (MHD) winds play a dominant role in driving accretion. 

To test this hypothesis observationally, we compare accretion rates with wind mass-loss rates, which should be similar if MHD winds are indeed the primary driver of accretion. I will present results from JWST NIRSpec observations of four edge-on disks, where we spatially resolved jets in multiple diagnostic lines ([Fe II], [S II], [N I], [C I]) and wind emission in over 30 H2 lines and for one source, even rovibrational CO (1-0) lines. 

The emerging paradigm also questions the traditional view that photoevaporative winds dominate disk dispersal, positioning MHD winds as a compelling alternative. To explore this, we conducted JWST MIRI IFU observations of a disk actively dispersing its gas, aiming to distinguish between photoevaporative and MHD-driven winds based on the wind's launch radius. Through this talk, I aim to demonstrate that winds likely play a more significant role in planet formation than previously recognized and highlight how JWST is essential for testing and validating this emerging paradigm shift.