Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Groundbreaking research published in Astronomy and Astrophysics Letters unveils surprising characteristics of gas planets forming within protostellar disks.
Observing protoplanets within their protostellar disks poses significant challenges due to their faint luminosity and the fleeting nature of their formation process. To date, only three young protoplanets have been directly observed.
A protoplanetary disk refers to a dense rotating disk of gas surrounding a recently formed young star, typically classified as a T Tauri star (TTS). Should the disk possess sufficient mass, it initiates a process known as runaway accretion, leading to the rapid formation of planetary embryos ranging from the size of the Moon to that of Mars within a timeframe of approximately 100,000 to 300,000 years.
Utilizing advanced computer simulations, researchers examined the thermal conditions within protostellar disks, revealing that emerging protoplanets take on the shape of oblate spheroids, akin to popular candies like Smarties or M&M's.
High-resolution simulations, conducted on the UK's astrophysics supercomputing facility DiRAC, enabled scientists to track the evolution of protoplanets within the disk, from their initial condensation to more defined shapes.
Unlike the slight flattening observed in planets within our solar system, such as Saturn and Jupiter, protoplanets display a remarkable flattening of approximately 90%, significantly impacting their observed properties.
The study delves into contrasting theories of planet formation, focusing on core accretion and disk instability, with a particular emphasis on the latter's ability to explain the rapid formation of exoplanetary systems.
While protoplanets exhibit substantial flatness, their cores, expected to evolve into gas giants over time, display a lesser degree of flattening, hinting at a gradual transition towards a more spherical shape.
Disk instability emerges as a significant factor in shaping certain planetary systems, providing insights into the diverse mechanisms underlying the formation of celestial bodies.
The convergence of theoretical models and observational data brings scientists closer to unravelling the mysteries surrounding the birth and development of planetary systems, advancing our understanding of the universe's intricate processes.