Search

Observations at infrared and millimetre wavelengths of the young protostar HOPS-315 show a gaseous disk captured at the point at which solids are first starting to condense, the t = 0 for planet formation.

In combination with existing observations and detailed circumstellar models, the detection of hydrogen deuteride emission from the star TW Hydrae implies a circumstellar disk mass of more than 0.05 solar masses, which is enough to form a planetary system like our own.

The hydroxyl radical OH has been detected in a planet-forming disk exposed to ultraviolet radiation and in a rovibrationally excited state. These JWST observations, when coupled with quantum calculations, reveal the ongoing photodissociation of water and its reformation in the gas phase.

A JWST/MIRI spectrum of an early quasar in the mid-infrared indicates that J1120+0641 had a mature feeding structure 760 Myr after the Big Bang. This finding suggests that supermassive black holes and their torii build up surprisingly quickly.

Simultaneous observations of TRAPPIST-1 b from JWST at 12.8 and 15 μm indicate that it is probably a bare rock with a mineral-rich surface. However, an alternative scenario with a CO₂-rich atmosphere and hazes could also explain the observations.

Direct detection of gas phase water from the disk of V883 Ori indicates that disks directly inherit water from the star-forming cloud that becomes incorporated into large icy bodies without notable chemical alteration.

The JWST MIRI transmission spectrum of WASP-107b, a transiting planet with Neptune-like mass and Jupiter-like radius, shows observations of sulfur dioxide and silicate clouds but no methane in its atmosphere, providing evidence of disequilibrium chemistry and active photochemistry.

Observations from the JWST MIRI showed the detection of ¹⁴NH₃ and ¹⁵NH₃ isotopologues in the atmosphere of a cool brown dwarf, along with a ¹⁴N/¹⁵N value consistent with star-like formation by gravitational collapse.

ALMA observations of the protoplanetary disk around HD 100546 reveal an unexpected C/O variation with azimuth. The carbon-dominated wedge of the disk can be reproduced via a model with a shadowing mechanism.

The detection of methanol—a molecule that primarily forms on the cold, icy surfaces of dust grains—in a warm protoplanetary disk is an indication that complex organic molecules are inherited from the interstellar medium and transported intact to planet-forming regions.

Chloromethane (CH3Cl) has been observed towards a low-mass protostar and comet 67P, making it the first organohalogen detected in space. The species was previously considered to be a biomarker, but the authors suggest viable alternative abiotic formation routes.

Observations that molecular gas in NGC 300 is spatially uncorrelated with high-mass stars are attributed to rapid evolution, with molecular clouds quickly destroyed by stellar feedback, and low star-formation efficiency.