Rocky planets are the most common planets surrounding the most common stars in our galaxy because they are more likely to originate around low-mass stars than gas giants. The chemistry of these worlds, which could resemble Earth or be extremely different from it, needs to be better understood. Astronomers want to better understand planet formation and the makeup of the ensuing planets by examining the disks from which such planets arise.
Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, an international team of astronomers studied the disk of gas and dust around a young, very low-mass star. The findings show more carbon-containing molecules in this disk than previously observed. These results affect the possible makeup of any planets that might form around this star.
In this study, the team explored the area surrounding ISO-ChaI 147, a very low-mass star between one and two million years old and only 0.11 times as massive as the Sun.
With 13 distinct carbon-bearing compounds, the spectrum obtained by Webb’s MIRI reveals the richest hydrocarbon chemistry ever observed in a protoplanetary disk. The group’s discoveries include the first identification of ethylene (C2H4), propyne (C3H4), and the methyl radical CH3, as well as ethane (C2H6) outside of our solar system.
Arabhaviv said, “These molecules have already been detected in our solar system, like in comets such as 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko and C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy). Webb allowed us to understand that these hydrocarbon molecules are diverse and abundant. Amazingly, we can now see the dance of these molecules in the planetary cradles. It is a very different planet-forming environment than we usually think of.”
According to the researchers, these findings significantly impact the inner disk’s chemistry and potential planet formation. Given Webb’s discovery that the gas in the disk is so rich in carbon, there probably wouldn’t be much carbon left in the solid components from which planets would form. Consequently, the planets that could develop there might have low carbon content. (Earth is thought to contain little carbon.)
The spectrum of the star ISO-ChaI 147 revealed by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) shows the richest hydrocarbon chemistry seen to date in a protoplanetary disk, consisting of 13 carbon-bearing molecules. This includes the first extrasolar detection of ethane (C2H6). The team also successfully detected ethylene (C2H4), propyne (C3H4), and the methyl radical CH3, for the first time in a protoplanetary disk.
NASA, ESA, CSA, Ralf Crawford (STScI)
Team member Inga Kamp, also from the University of Groningen, continued, “This is profoundly different from the composition we see in disks around solar-type stars, where oxygen-bearing molecules like water and carbon dioxide dominate.” “This object proves that this particular class of objects is distinct.”
Team member Agnés Perrin of Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France said, “It’s incredible that we can detect and quantify the amount of molecules that we know well on Earth, such as benzene, in an object that is more than 600 light-years away.”
The scientific team’s next goal is to increase the sample size of these disks surrounding very low-mass stars to understand better how common or uncommon these carbon-rich terrestrial planet-forming zones are.
“The extension of our investigation will enable us to gain a deeper comprehension of the formation process of these molecules,” clarified Thomas Henning, a team member and the chief investigator of the MINDS program from the Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy in Germany. “More spectroscopy is needed to fully interpret our observations, as several features in the Webb data are still unknown.”
Journal Reference:
A. M. Arabhavi, I Kamp, Th, Henning et al. Abundant hydrocarbons in the disk around a very-low-mass star. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.adi8147
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