Formation mechanism of spontaneous dust traps
Formation mechanism of spontaneous dust traps(red) in a protoplanetary disk after the formation of a spontaneous dust trap, visible as a bright dust ring. JF Gonzalez? - One of the major questions in astronomy today is how do planets form? Until recently, no theory has been able to provide a complete answer. However, an international team of astrophysicists led by researchers from the Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon (Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENS Lyon) in France has discovered the spontaneous formation of 'dust traps', finally allowing astronomers to link the different stages of planet formation. Astronomers know that planets - both in our Solar System and the exoplanet found around other stars - formed in the dusty disks that surround young stars. These disks comprises of gas and dust grains and somehow the small dust grains need to grow into larger bodies that are the building blocks of planets. With over 3,500 exoplanets detected to date in our Galaxy, their formation mechanism must be both efficient and universal. There are several steps in planet formation, and some are better understood that others.
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