A gas giant planet in formation around the young star RIK 113 was detected using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in Chile. The findings were published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, detailing the creation process of this new planetary body.
The young star’s images in scattered near-infrared light unveiled its structured disk, a common sight among younger stars like RIK 113. This disk, consisting of gas and dust clouds, condenses under immense gravitational pressure to form protoplanets, the precursors of new planets.
The star RIK 113, also known as 2MASSJ16120668-3010270, lies in Scorpius, 431 light-years from Earth. ALMA discovered its protoplanetary disk in 2024, showing a potential planetary embryo forming in a gap within the clouds around RIK 113.
Researchers from the University of Galway in Ireland explored a fascinating discovery using the VLT. They utilized the SPHERE instrument to study star RIK 113, revealing spiral features in its protoplanetary disk’s inner ring. Signals possibly from two planets orbiting near RIK 113 were also detected.
The new planet might be a large gas giant, having multiple times Jupiter’s mass. Observations found a protoplanetary disk stretching up to 130au from the parent star, displaying a bright ring and central gap around 50au, matching theoretical models of planet formation impact on disks.
The astronomers aim to utilize the James Webb Space Telescope’s sensitivity for capturing an image of the young planet, enabling detailed study of the planet-disk interaction upon confirmation.
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