Clues to the Processing of Dust Around Stars

Clues to the Processing of Dust Around Stars

Research by University of Arizona Assistant Professor Pierre Haenecour and his team on the effect of ion irradiation on dust grains in circumstellar and interstellar environments, presented by Haenecour at Microscopy and MicroAnalysis 2019, has been...
Unknown Treasure Trove of Planets Found Hiding in Dust

Unknown Treasure Trove of Planets Found Hiding in Dust

The first unbiased survey of protoplanetary disks surrounding young stars in the Taurus star-forming region turned up a higher-than-expected number of disks with features suggesting nascent planets. Excerpt from UA News-Daniel Stolte, University Communications...

The Search for Life, Science Fiction, Society

The current estimate for the number of stars with Earth-sized planets orbiting in the habitable zone is about one in four, according to Dr. Daniel Apai Principal Investigator for Project EOS. Other researchers estimates range from as few as 5 percent to more than 100...
Methods for Hunting Exoplanets

Methods for Hunting Exoplanets

“Usually the first thing you find in astronomy are the freaks,” said Dr. Travis Barman, Project EOS co-investigator and associate professor at the University of Arizona. “And the freaks tell you about the exceptions not the rule.” Exoplanets are illusive objects. They...

New Directions in Planet Formation – Gijs Mulders

How do planets form? This is a question that scientists have asked themselves for centuries. Kant (in 1755) and Laplace (in 1796) postulated the nebular hypothesis, which states that the solar system planets formed from a rotating disk of material. Over the years...