Discs around A-type and related stars

Circumstellar discs are formed together with stars during the process of gravitational collapse of protostellar clouds, and they play an important role during the pre-main sequence phase of stellar evolution. Discs are responsible for the formation of jets and bi-conical outflows, and they are the reservoir of material from which planetary systems are formed. The main source of information about circumstellar discs is the infrared and sub-mm regions of the spectrum. In the case of the Herbig Ae stars the observations in the visual region are also a very useful source of information about the dynamical processes in the inner regions of the discs. In this review I discuss the properties and evolution of discs around these stars and related objects in the context of possible grain growth and disc dissipation via planet formation.