giant planet formation tagged posts

Unexpected Trove of Gas discovered around Larger Stars

Artist impression of a debris disk surrounding a star in the Scorpius-Centaurus Association. ALMA discovered that -- contrary to expectations -- the more massive stars in this region retain considerable stores of carbon monoxide gas. This finding could offer new insights into the timeline for giant planet formation around young stars. Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF; D. Berry / SkyWorks

Artist impression of a debris disk surrounding a star in the Scorpius-Centaurus Association. ALMA discovered that — contrary to expectations — the more massive stars in this region retain considerable stores of carbon monoxide gas. This finding could offer new insights into the timeline for giant planet formation around young stars. Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF; D. Berry / SkyWorks

Astronomers using ALMA surveyed dozens of young stars – some Sun-like and others approximately double that size – and discovered that the larger variety have surprisingly rich reservoirs of carbon monoxide gas in their debris disks. In contrast, the lower-mass, Sun-like stars have debris disks that are virtually gas-free...

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