Gas and Dust in Debris Disks

Debris disks probe a critical evolutionary link between the era of planet formation in protoplanetary disks and the mature planetary systems unveiled by exoplanet surveys. The dust in debris disks exhibits structural features that are linked to the presence of currently unobservable planets, while the gas component has important implications for both late-stage planet formation and the ultimate atmospheric composition of exoplanets. The ALMA era has brought about a number of advances, including new dynamical insights into young planetary systems from interpretation of dust structures — particularly radial gaps and measurements of vertical structure — as well as characterization of the composition and structure of the enigmatic late-stage gas that we now know to be common. I will review these recent advances and discuss their impact on our understanding of the planet formation process.