A new look at planet formation in different regions of the Milky Way is provided by detailed observations of the neighborhood of 86 young stars in the galaxy, carried out with the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (TGT). installed in Chile.
In a series of three studies published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics (New Window) (in English), astrophysicists from around ten countries paint the most precise portrait yet of planet-forming disks around stars in three regions of our galaxy, dating between 600 and 1900 lie and 1600 light years away from Earth.
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Selection of images showing disks from the regions of our galaxy observed in the studies.
Photo: ESO/C. Ginski, A. Garufi, P.-G. Valegård et al.
These regions (the Orion, Chamaeleon I, and Taurus clouds) are known to be the birthplace of several stars more massive than the Sun.
“This is a real game-changer in our field of research,” astronomer Christian Ginski of the University of Galway, Ireland, lead author of one of the studies, said in a statement.
We have moved from the intensive study of individual star systems to this comprehensive overview of entire star-forming regions.
The new images provide scientists with a treasure trove of data that will certainly help them unlock the mysteries of planet formation, the press release said.
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Planet-forming disks around young stars and their location in the gas-rich Orion cloud, about 1,600 light-years from Earth.
Photo: ESO/P.-G. Valegård et al.; IRAS
Sightseeing features
- No fewer than 5,587 exoplanets have been officially discovered in more than 4,155 planetary systems.
- More than 10,146 additional exoplanets are currently awaiting confirmation.
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Artistic illustration depicting a forming star surrounded by a disk in which planets are forming.
Photo: ESO/L. Calcada
How do planets form?
Exoplanets often originate in systems that are very different from the solar system. More specifically, they are born in the dust- and gas-rich disks that surround young stars.
These disks of matter are located in huge gas clouds in which the stars themselves form in veritable stellar kindergartens.
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From one CD to another
The new images show the wide variety of disks that form around these young stars. In fact, they are surprisingly just as diverse as in mature planetary systems.
Some of these disks feature huge spiral arms, likely animated by the complex ballet of the orbiting planets.
Astronomer Antonio Garufi of the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics, lead author of one of the studies, adds more [disques] feature rings and large cavities created by the formation of planets, while others appear smooth and almost dormant amid all the activity.
These images provide researchers with a treasure trove of data that will be used in the coming years to shed light on certain mysteries surrounding the formation of planets.
Surprising observations
In the Orion cloud, scientists found that pairs or more grouped stars are less likely to form large planetary disks.
This is an important observation because, unlike our Sun, most stars in the galaxy have companions. Additionally, the irregular appearance of Orion's disks suggests that there are massive planets within these disks, which could cause them to become distorted and misaligned.
In the coming years, these planet-forming systems will be studied with new instruments, in particular ESO's European Giant Telescope, which is scheduled to be operational by 2027. Its large 39-meter mirror will allow astrophysicists to study deeper regions around young stars. where rocky planets like Earth could form.
“It is almost poetic that the processes that mark the beginning of the journey to planet formation and ultimately life in our own solar system are so beautiful,” emphasizes Per-Gunnar Valegård from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, who led them of the studies.