Will the real Protoplanetary Disk Mass please stand up?
My name is Protoplanetary Disk Mass. I am important for determining what types of planets can form, where they can form, and how quickly they can form. Signed Protoplanetary Disk Mass.
Stuff Between the Stars: Gas, Dust, and… Asteroids?
Interstellar space should be littered with debris ejected during the formation of planetary systems—but how much? Engelhardt et al. use solar system surveys and simulations to place an upper limit on the number density of asteroids and comets roaming the Milky Way without a parent star.
Bridging the Gap: A Stellar Way to Identify Planets in Protoplanetary Disks
Characterizing planets through direct imaging is no easy task! But today’s authors offer a work-around formula, which estimates the crucial parameter of planetary mass from protoplanetary disk observations. In this astrobite, we discuss ‘The Theory’ and ‘The Practice’ of their cool equation.
Rings of Dust
In this bite, we talk about observations of substructure in a young circumstellar debris disk. What can the formation of multiple debris dust rings tell us?
Where did my giant planet gift come from?
I received a giant planet for Christmas! Where did it come from? At what distance from its star did it form? I try to use the planet’s atmospheric composition to answer those questions, but Piso et al. point out this method may not be as straightforward as I would imagine.
Modest chaos in the early solar system
The puzzling architecture of the Solar system has long been a headache for planetary dynamicists. An alternative model of the gas giants’ movements may shed new light on the issue.