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National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

ALMA Sheds Light on Planet-Forming Gas Streams - Tantalising signs of flows feeding gas-guzzling giant planets

| Science

Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) telescope have seen a key stage in the birth of giant planets for the first time. Vast streams of gas are flowing across a gap in the disc of material around a young star. These are the first direct observations of such streams, which are expected to be created by giant planets guzzling gas as they grow. The result is published on 2 January 2013 in the journal Nature.

Figure
[Figure] ALMA observations of the disc and gas streams around HD 142527.

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