The size and distribution of dust grains in a protoplanetary disk have been pinned down by RIKEN researchers (The Astrophysical Journal, "Two different grain size distributions within the protoplanetary disk around HD 142527 revealed by ALMA polarization observation"). This information promises to be valuable for helping astrophysicists understand how these tiny seeds grow into mighty planets. | |||||||||||||||||||||
A protoplanetary disk is a disk of dust and gas swirling around a young star. Such disks can act as nurseries for new planets, but this process is shrouded in mystery.
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