Gabriele Cugno

I am a research fellow in the Department of Astrophysics at the University of Zuerich.

I explore how planets and moons are born. My current work focuses on circumplanetary disks (CPDs)—tiny disks of gas and dust that swirl around young giant planets. These disks are not only the cradles of moon formation, but they also shape the final outcome of planet formation itself. With the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), we can now peek into these hidden worlds for the first time, revealing their chemistry and physics in incredible detail. I lead this exploration through three JWST programs totaling over 70 hours of observing time that will be executed during Cycle 4.

I’m also fascinated by catching planets in the act of forming. Using telescopes both on the ground and in space—JWST, Hubble, ALMA, and the VLT—I search for newborn planets as they emerge from the clouds of their birth. Soon, with the Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), I’ll be able to push these discoveries even further, bringing us closer than ever to understanding how planets and moons come to life.

Please find an introduction to some of my latest projects below.

Research highlights

The first spectrum of a circumplanetary disk

Applying high-contrast imaging techniques to MIRI Medium Resolution Spectrograph (MRS) data, I detected emission from the forming companion GQ Lup B between 5 and 12 μm and extract its spectrum. This is the first mid-IR spectrum obtained from a companion still interacting with the disk of its primary.

Imaging the youngest planets with JWST

I am participating in several observational programs using the JWST to image forming planets still embedded in the circumstellar disks. As part of the NIRCam GTO program 1179, I published the first high-contrast images of a protoplanetary disk, SAO206462. We detected a companion candidate that could be responsible for launching at least one of the prominent spirals in the disk. In addition, I am the PI of GO2153, an attempt to image HD163296b with the MIRI instrument.

Searching for molecular absorption features from a forming planet

We used molecular mapping to search for absorption features produced in the photosphere of the forming planet PDS70b. No molecule could have been identified. Several scenarios, which are described and discussed in the paper, could explain the lack of molecular features.

The ISPY search for forming planets in the L' band

Within the NaCo-ISPY survey, we observed 50 protoplanetaru disks searching for embedded forming planets. In 2019, we discovered a new (sub-)stellar companion to R CrA. In 2022, we published the final results of the entire survey, with a particular focus on the overall population of forming planets.

The first surveys to search for accreting protoplanets

The formation of giant planets may involve accretion processes from a circumplanetary disk onto the protoplanet. This phenomenon is expected to produce Hα photons which can be detected using high-contrast imaging instruments.

Selected publications

Here you can find a selected list of refereed publications that I contributed to.

G. Cugno, P. Patapis, A. Banzatti, et al.; 2023, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 966, 21, Mid-infrared Spectrum of the Disk around the Forming Companion GQ Lup B Revealed by JWST/MIRI; G. Cugno, Y. Zhou, T. Thanathibodee, et al.; 2023, The Astronomical Journal, 166, 162, MagAO-X and HST High-contrast Imaging of the AS209 Disk at Hα J. Hayoz, G. Cugno, S. Quanz, et al.; 2023, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 678, 178, CROCODILE. Incorporating medium-resolution spectroscopy of close-in directly imaged exoplanets into atmospheric retrievals via cross-correlation G. Cugno, T. Pearce, R. Launhardt, M. Bonse, et al.; 2023, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 699, 145, ISPY-NACO Imaging Survey for Planets around Young stars. The demographics of forming planets embedded in protoplanetary disks G. Cugno, P. Patapis, T. Stolker, S. P. Quanz, et al.; 2021, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 653, 12, Molecular mapping of the PDS70 system. No molecular absorption signatures from the forming planet PDS70b T. Stolker, G. -D. Marleau, G. Cugno, P. Mollière, et al.; 2020, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 644, 13, MIRACLES: atmospheric characterization of directly imaged planets and substellar companions at 4-5 μm. II. Constraints on the mass and radius of the enshrouded planet PDS 70 b A. Zurlo, G. Cugno, M. Montesinos, S. Perez, et al.; 2020, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 633, 119, The widest Hα survey of accreting protoplanets around nearby transition disks A. Musso Barcucci, G. Cugno, R. Launhardt, A. Müller, et al.; 2019, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 631, 84, Detection of Hα emission from PZ Telescopii B using SPHERE/ZIMPOL G. Cugno, S.P. Quanz, R. Launhardt, A. Musso Barcucci, et al.; 2019, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 624, 29, ISPY - NaCo Imaging Survey for Planets around Young stars. A young companion candidate embedded in the R CrA cloud G. Cugno, S. P. Quanz, S. Hunziker, T. Stolker et al.; 2019, Astronomy & Astrophysics, 622, 156, A search for accreting young companions embedded in circumstellar disks. High-contrast Hα imaging with VLT/SPHERE


Selected presentations

Here you can find a selected list of talks and seminars that I presented (★ means invited contribution).

★A sharper view: celebrating 3 years of JWST observations of planet-forming disks, Ringberg, Germany, Planets and their disks in the mid-infrared: from coronagraphic imaging to MRS spectroscopy Disk and Planets across ESO facilities, Garching, Germany, Planet formation in the thermal infrared: from the VLT to METIS on the ELT Great Lakes Exoplanet Area Meeting, Columbus, Ohio, USA, A new forming planet candidate challenging core accretion In the Spirit of Lyot, Leiden, Netherlands, Revealing the population of forming giant planets Exoplanets IV, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Constraining the population forming giant planets with the NaCo-ISPY survey ★RISTRETTO meets PlanetS Workshop, Geneva, Switzerland (virtual), Hunting for accreting young gas giant planets Exoplanets III, Heidelberg, Germany (virtual), Unveiling the nature of PDS70b Great Barriers in Planet Formation, Palm Cove, Australia, Hunting for forming gas giant planets Exoplanets II, Cambridge, UK, Hunting for accreting gas giant planets

Contact Me

Feel free to reach out through the form below if you have a question. I look forward to answering you!