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Telescopes spot start of planet formation in Orion | Current Affairs | Vision IAS

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Telescopes spot start of planet formation in Orion

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Observations of HOPS-315 and Planet Formation

The recent study published in Nature provides groundbreaking evidence of the earliest stages of planet formation observed in the star system HOPS-315, located in the Orion constellation. This discovery offers significant insights into how planetary bodies like Earth initially formed.

Formation Process

  • The young solar system experienced initial heating, causing dust to vaporize.
  • This was followed by cooling, allowing refractory minerals to crystallize.
  • HOPS-315's protoplanetary disc allows astronomers to observe these processes, as it is tilted in a way that permits deeper observation.

Research and Observations

  • The study involved collaboration among researchers from France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Taiwan, and the US.
  • Observations were conducted using the NASA James Webb Space Telescope and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observatory in Chile.
  • Instruments used: NIRSpec and MIRI integral-field spectrographs.

Key Findings

  • Researchers observed raw rock vapor cooling and crystallizing in HOPS-315's protoplanetary disc.
  • Detection of silicon monoxide gas at around 470 K and crystalline silicates within 2.2 AU of the star.
  • Computer simulations predicted temperatures around 1,300 K near 1 AU from the star, matching energy readings.
  • Crystals of forsterite, enstatite, and tentative silica were identified, similar to those in primitive Earth meteorites.

Conclusions

  • The study reports the first evidence of solid matter condensing out of rock vapor around a star, marking a significant milestone in understanding planet formation.
  • The findings suggest a similar condensation chemistry taking place around HOPS-315 as seen in our Solar System's formation.
  • Tags :
  • HOPS-315
  • Planet Formation
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