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Protoplanetary Disks

All articles tagged with #protoplanetary disks

ALMA reveals unexpected abundance of 'heavy' methanol in young star systems
science2 days ago

ALMA reveals unexpected abundance of 'heavy' methanol in young star systems

A multinational team using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has detected complex organic molecules, specifically fully deuterated methanol, in the protoplanetary disks of 11 young stars. This discovery, part of the COMPASS project, suggests that the chemical ingredients for life are abundant in planetary birthplaces similar to our own Solar System, though current models struggle to explain the high concentrations observed.

via Space|
#alma#astrochemistry#methanol
ALMA Captures First Direct Evidence of Gas Swirls Around Forming Twin Planets
astronomy17 days ago

ALMA Captures First Direct Evidence of Gas Swirls Around Forming Twin Planets

Astronomers have produced the clearest image yet of two forming planets interacting with their birth disk. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), researchers observed the WISPIT 2 system, located 430 light-years away. The data reveals how the twin planets, WISPIT 2b and 2c, carve gaps and cavities in the surrounding gas and dust. This marks the first time gas velocity distortions, or 'spiral wakes,' have been directly linked to a confirmed planet, providing a crucial calibration point for future exoplanet detection.

via Space|
#alma#astronomy#exoplanets
JWST Data Reveals Planet Formation as a Race Against Protoplanetary Disk Decay
astronomy1 month ago

JWST Data Reveals Planet Formation as a Race Against Protoplanetary Disk Decay

Astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope to analyze 72 young, sun-like stars, revealing that planet formation is a time-sensitive process dictated by the rapid loss of material from protoplanetary disks. By tracking molecular hydrogen, the study shows that gas giants must assemble their atmospheres before stellar winds and radiation strip the disk of its raw ingredients.

via Space|
#astronomy#james-webb-space-telescope#molecular-hydrogen
JWST spotlights Orion A as a bustling stellar nursery
space3 months ago

JWST spotlights Orion A as a bustling stellar nursery

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope released a detailed image of the Orion A giant molecular cloud, a 290‑light-year filament about 1,300 light-years away that hosts thousands of young stars and their protoplanetary disks. The region has formed roughly 3,000 stellar objects over the past few million years, making it one of the closest and most active stellar nurseries. The JWST image, issued as the telescope’s Picture of the Month, underscores the mission’s transformative impact on studying star and planet formation since its July 2022 launch.

via Space|
#james-webb-space-telescope#orion-a#protoplanetary-disks
Two suns, more worlds: binary stars may birth more planets than single stars
space5 months ago

Two suns, more worlds: binary stars may birth more planets than single stars

New simulations suggest planets may form more easily in the outer parts of circumbinary disks around binary stars, as inner zones near the stars are too chaotic. Beyond a “forbidden zone,” disks can become gravitationally unstable and fragment to form multiple planets—often gas giants—while some worlds may be ejected as rogue planets. The study implies binary-star systems could host many planets, making Tatooine-like worlds less rare, and points to ALMA, JWST, and future telescopes to observe such disks; over 50 circumbinary planets are already known.

via Space|
#binary-stars#exoplanets#planet-formation
Evidence Suggests Life’s Building Blocks Originated in Space
science1 year ago

Evidence Suggests Life’s Building Blocks Originated in Space

Astronomers using ALMA detected 17 complex organic molecules in a young star's protoplanetary disk, including precursors to amino acids and nucleobases, suggesting that life's chemical roots are inherited from earlier interstellar stages and can continue to develop during planet formation, especially during stellar outbursts that release these molecules into detectable gas phases.

via The Daily Galaxy|
#alma#astrochemistry#complex-organic-molecules
New Imaging Techniques Unveil Early Stages of Planet Formation
science1 year ago

New Imaging Techniques Unveil Early Stages of Planet Formation

New super-resolution imaging of protoplanetary disks in the Ophiuchus region reveals that characteristic structures indicating planet formation appear within a few hundred thousand years after star birth, suggesting planets begin forming much earlier than previously thought. The study used advanced imaging techniques to analyze 78 disks, finding that planets grow alongside their young stars, with structures emerging in disks larger than 30 au during early star formation stages.

via Phys.org|
#alma#planet-formation#protoplanetary-disks