A research team led by Józef Varga, from the Konkoli Observatory in Hungary, used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescopic Interferometer (VLTI) to observe the planet-forming disk of the young star (HD 144432).
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The planet formation is located about 500 light-years away. The researchers found a complex structure consisting of three concentric rings in the inner region of the disk, similar to the areas where rocky planets such as Earth formed in our solar system.
The first ring is located within the orbit of Mercury, and the second is close to the path of Mars. Moreover, the third ring almost corresponds to the orbit of Jupiter, and this formation is the first of its kind to be observed near a host star, indicating the possibility of forming a planet within the gaps. .
The composition of dust within the disk shows similarities to rocky planets such as Earth, with the presence of silicates and possibly metallic iron. If confirmed, it would be a groundbreaking discovery in a planet-forming disk, as the mixture of iron and silicates in this environment is more consistent with the chemical model applied to the data. Which indicates its similarity to the early solar system.
This discovery, announced in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, opens the door to further exploration of similar disks around young stars, with the aim of understanding whether iron-rich environments are common for planet formation near their parent stars.
For his part, Ian Heywood, a senior researcher in astronomy at the University of Oxford in Britain, believes that this discovery raises a new theory about the formation of planets, including planet Earth, but confirming this theory requires more similar discoveries.
Heywood told Al-Ain News: “We need to conduct further studies to ensure that this discovery was not an anomaly, and that it is a possible common event, and additional observations may help confirm the spread of iron in the disks that form planets.”
He adds that subsequent studies must also answer the question: “How do iron-rich environments affect the formation of rocky planets to create planets similar to Earth and Mercury, rich in iron and relatively low in carbon?”
Hazem Badr – Al Ain News
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