Nearby red dwarf stars reveal unexpected protoplanetary disks
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.029207
Sydney Morning Herald : Two red dwarf stars 400 light-years from Earth have been found to have protoplanetary disks. That finding runs counter to models, which have suggested such disks should have dissipated several million years ago. Simon Murphy of the Australian National University and his colleagues found the disks because of the IR glow they emit. Usually by the time a star is 10 million years old, its protoplanetary disk has collapsed into planets or has been blown away. However, Murphy and company estimate that these stars are 16 million years old. It is possible, the team proposes, that disks last longer around lower-mass stars or that planets take longer to form around them.
