Unveiling a cluster of protostellar disks around the massive protostar GGD27-MM1

Most stars form in clusters and thus it is important to characterize the protostellar disk population in dense environments to test the role of the environment in the subsequent evolution. Specifically, it is still needed to evaluate whether planet formation is altered with respect to more isolated stars formed in dark clouds. Thanks to the ALMA's unique combination of spatial resolution and sensitivity, we have serendipitously uncovered using ALMA 1.14 mm continuum observations dozens of disks from low-mass Class 0/I protostars in the deeply embedded cluster surrounding the massive star GGD27-MM1. We present the main physical properties of the disk population in GGD27 (e.g., mass, disk sizes, spatial distribution, etc) and compare them with the results found in nearby regions such as Taurus, Ophiuchus and the Orion Nebula Cluster. This discovery shows the potential of ALMA to unveil a disk population at millimeter wavelengths, whose emission appears completely hidden in the near-infrared owing to the strong emission arising from the massive star, which in combination with deep observations at centimeter wavelengths with the JVLA allow us to characterize the protostellar disk population. This opens up a new window for ALMA to investigate the properties of protostellar disks in deeply embedded young cluster environments located at large distances.