Protoplanetary disks show rapid evolution and gas depletion within a few million years
In short: Researchers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array surveyed 89 young protoplanetary disks in the Lupus complex to measure their dust and gas content. They found that most disks have significant gas depletion compared to the interstellar medium, suggesting that planet formation is well underway by the age of just 1 to 3 million years.
The study used sub-millimeter observations to estimate masses, finding a positive correlation between disk mass and host star mass. However, the study is limited by its reliance on assumed interstellar medium abundances to estimate gas masses.
Why it matters: The rapid depletion of gas in young disks suggests that the building blocks of planets form very early in a star's life.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: Ansdell et al. (2016). ALMA SURVEY OF LUPUS PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. I. DUST AND GAS MASSES. The Astrophysical Journal.
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