Over the last decade of ALMA’s operation the molecular inventory of protoplanetary disks has expanded rapidly, revealing a diverse set of nitrogen-bearing organics and carbon-chain molecules that trace both prebiotic […]
Protoplanetary Disk
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
First Ever Live Observation Of The Rotation Of A Planetary Nursery
The rotation of a protoplanetary disc (a disc where planets are being formed) has been observed directly for the very first time by mapping the emissions from the dust grains […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Comets and Asteroids, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Mars, Mercury, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release, Venus
New Experiments And Modeling On Iron Meteorites Provide Insight Into Young Solar System And Earth’s Building Blocks
Habitable planets require life-essential elements, like nitrogen and phosphorus. Understanding how those elements ended up in a planetary body can give insight into the formation of the solar system and […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Metamorphoses Of Carbon And Oxygen In Protoplanetary Discs: How Chemistry And Radial Drift Transform Inner Disc C/O Ratios
The chemical composition of a protoplanetary disc is sensitive to its thermal structure and dust properties, and can provide insights into the disc evolution.
Posted inAstrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release
Oxidation Constraints On Terrestrial Planet Formation From A Ring
The present-day solar system comprises meteorites with varying oxidation levels, derived from different parent bodies.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
The Asymmetric Carbon-rich Chemistry 0f The planet-forming Disk 0f HD 142527 Triggered By Late Infall
The planet-forming disk of HD 142527 is known for its azimuthally asymmetric dust trap, shadows, and spiral arms.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Stellar Cartography
Weighing Newborn Planets Using Their Dusty Fingerprints
A team of astronomers, led by University of Warwick in collaboration with researchers at MIT and McMaster, have developed a novel method to use the properties of dust rings around […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Constraints On The Crystallinity Of Water Ice In Planet-forming Disks From Infrared Scattered-Light Spectra
The crystallinity of water ice not only records the thermal history experienced by an astronomical body, but also affects the composition of forming planets by controlling the trapping of volatile […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
Planetary Formation Tracks On The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram: Visualising The Processes Of Giant Planet Growth
The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (HRD) is central to stellar astrophysics but has rarely been used to interpret planet formation.
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Status Report
Fizzy Water Ice In Space: CO2 Adsorption, Binding Energies And Its Fate In A Protoplanetary Disk
Context: CO2 is the third most abundant ice component found on dust grains in star-forming regions and a common ingredient of exoplanet atmospheres. Characterization of its adsorption properties on ices […]