Evidence Of Baby Planets Spotted Around Young Star

    • PTI
    • Publish Date: May 27 2016 2:30PM
    • |
    • Updated Date: May 27 2016 2:30PM
Evidence Of Baby Planets Spotted Around Young Star
Representative Image

Scientists have found evidence of baby planets around a young star about a million years old, a discovery that suggests planets may form in much shorter timescales than previously thought.


In November 2014, Atacama Large Millimetre/sub millimetre Array (ALMA) in Chile released a startling image of a young star HL Tauri and its dust disk.

The image, sharpest ever taken for this kind of object, depicts several gaps in the dust disk around the star.

Since the disks are sites of planet formation, researchers suggest that the dark gaps are carved by infant planets forming in the disk that sweep away dust along their orbits.
However, HL Tauri is very young, estimated to be only about a million years, and classical studies indicate that it takes more than tens of millions of years for planets to form from small dust.

Some researchers propose other mechanisms to form gaps: changes in the dust size through coalescence or destruction or the formation of dust due to gas molecules freezing.
Disks around young stars contain gas in addition to the dust. In general the amount of gas is 100 times larger than that of dust.

Researchers, including those from Kagoshima University in Japan, focused on the distribution of gas in the disk to better understand its true nature.

If the dust gaps are caused by the variance of the dust properties that would not directly affect the gas, so no gaps would be seen in the gas distribution. If on the other hand, the gaps in the dust are caused by the gravity of forming planets, the gravity would be expected to create gaps in the gas as well.

The team extracted the emissions from gas molecules in 2014 ALMA Long Baseline Campaign data and summed up the emissions in rings around the star. The image of the gas distribution unveils at least two gaps in the disk, at the radii of 28 and 69 astronomical units.

"To our surprise, these gaps in the gas overlap with the dust gaps," said Hsi-Wei Yen from Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Taiwan.
"This supports the idea that the gaps are the footprints left by baby planets," Yen said.
The fact that the gaps in the dust and the gas match-up implies that the amount of material in the gaps likely decreases.

This disfavours some of the theories that tried to explain the gaps solely on the basis of changes in the dust particles. A decrease in the amount of material in the gaps supports the planet formation theory, in spite of HL Tauri's young age. 

More From SCI-TECH...

POST YOUR OWN ARTICLE, PHOTO & VIDEO

SIMPLY FILL DETAILS & POST


 
SIGN UP & EXPLORE MORE...
*


*
* *
* *
img
REGISTRATION SUCCESSFUL...
THANK YOU FOR REGISTERING
  • About Us

Times Newspaper in Education (Times NIE) is a novel program that helps students ‘Stay Ahead’ and aims at making ‘Learning Fun’. It introduces concepts that help individual growth and development beyond school curriculum.

A brainchild of The Times of India, the world’s leading English newspapers, Times NIE nurtures progress and innovation. Adapted from the international concept, Times Newspaper in Education program (Times NIE) was initiated in India in 1985.

Today we have over 3000 schools and over 9 lac students subscribing to the programme, spanning 16 cities viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, and Jaipur.

The Times of India Student edition, a customized student newspaper exclusively for the students, packs a powerful punch in terms of content that leads to a smarter and superior learning experience. The information is crafted such that it finds use in classroom discussions, thus making it relevant and current. It truly gives education a new dimension by fostering the simple habit of reading which in turn paves the way for a confident, informed and aware individual. A newspaper that inspires young minds and equips them to face challenges of today’s world, making way for global citizens.

Empowering students with new cutting-edge knowledge through various educative and informative activities is a commitment and tradition of Times NIE. The programme serves as a catalyst of education and interaction, as well as a window into the minds of the quintessential Indian youth. On a significant scale Times NIE comprises diverse interesting activities and events that boost the child’s passion for learning, while revealing hidden talent.

While you are aware that The Times of India is among the leading English Newspapers across the world, it has consummated its position as an everlasting winner. With several international awards and recognitions to its credit, The Times of India and Times NIE have validated an enduring tradition of setting the highest benchmarks in every respect. We have been awarded with the two most prestigious awards, Times NIE - World’s No.1 NIE program and The Times of India, Student Edition - World’s No.1 Newspaper for the youth in 2006 by the celebrated World Association of Newspapers (WAN). In 2008 we were honoured by the International Newspaper Marketing Association (INMA), yet another international recognition for ‘Youth Audience Development’. In 2013 we were again honoured by the celebrated World Association of Newspapers (WAN) as the ‘Times NIE - World’s Best Youth Engagement Program’.

Times NIE has grown remarkably over the last three and a half decades, touching millions of children across more than 16 Indian cities. Our absolute commitment towards the fledgling generation remains undiluted and our greatest strength lies in the school partnership and commitment.

  • Times NIE World Awards
EDIT STUDENT PROFILE...



img

JOIN NOW !!!

Create or join groups, share your views, ideas through posts (Text, Pictures & Videos)

GOT A QUERY?

FEEL FREE TO ASK HERE. GET IT ANSWERED BY EXPERTS

CLICK HERE TO SEE YOUR PREVIOUS QUERIES

win

Why You Think India Is Great....