James Webb Space Telescope Supports the Formation of Planets from Drifting Icy Pebbles
The James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed that icy pebbles are responsible for the formation of planets, delivering evidence to support this theory. These icy pebbles are believed to migrate toward newborn stars from the cooler regions of the disks surrounding them. As they enter the warmer space closer to the stars, they release abundant water vapor and deliver both water and solids to developing planets.
The telescope has observed this process, linking the presence of water vapor in the inner disk to the drifting of icy pebbles from the outer disk. This discovery brings new possibilities in the study of rocky planet formation.
Dr. Andrea Banzatti of Texas State University notes, “We finally have evidence that these zones can interact with each other, which is a proposed occurrence in our solar system.”
Using Webb’s MIRI, researchers studied four protoplanetary disks. The observations revealed that compact disks are anticipated to have a higher water content than extended disks, aligning with the expectations that the pebbles drift more effectively in compact disks.
While initially, Webb’s data puzzled the scientists, it ultimately unveiled the presence of cold water inside the compact disks, showcasing the capabilities of the spacecraft’s advanced technology.
This groundbreaking research opens new doors to understanding the complex process of planet formation and has been published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters on November 8th, 2023. Let’s continue to unravel the mysteries of our universe with the James Webb Space Telescope.
