Possible site of new planet discovered by University of Galway team of scientists
The researchers said the planet is probably a gas giant planet many times the mass of Jupiter.
The method of discovery involved using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile.
With the instrument, the researchers captured images of a distant young star in the form of a scattered near-infrared light that revealed an 'exceptionally structured' disc – demonstrating the probable formation a new planet.
An image of the new planet forming was published by the European Southern Observatory as its image of the week.
Images of the disc showed that it extends to 130 astronomical units from its parent star.
The figure is equivalent to 130 times the distance between Earth and the sun.
It shows a bright ring followed by a gap centred at roughly 50 astronomical units.
The scientific paper speculates on the presence of a planet based on its structure and the rings and spirals observed in the disc.
It also notes some tentative atmospheric emission but the research team said it requires further study to confirm.
Led by Dr Christian Ginski, from the Centre for Astronomy in the School of Natural Sciences at University of Galway, the study was co-authored by four postgraduate students at the university: Chloe Lawlor, Dan McLachlan, Matthew Murphy and Jake Byrne. The wider research team included colleagues in the UK, Germany, Australia, the US, Netherlands, Italy, Chile, France and Japan.
'While our team has now observed close to 100 possible planet-forming discs around nearby stars, this image is something special,' Dr Ginski said.
'One rarely finds a system with both rings and spiral arms in a configuration that almost perfectly fits the predictions of how a forming planet is supposed to shape its parent disc according to theoretical models.
'Detections like this bring us one step closer to understand how planets form in general and how our solar system might have formed in the distant past.'
University of Galway PhD student Ms Lawlor said: 'Working with Dr Christian Ginski on the 2MASS1612 paper has been an incredible experience.
'As an early-career researcher, having the opportunity to contribute to such exciting work has been especially rewarding.
'This work has been the perfect introduction to scientific writing and collaboration, and I'm very grateful for this kick-start to my research career.'
Based on their research findings, Dr Ginski and his team have secured time at the world-leading James Webb Space Telescope observatory in the upcoming observation cycle.
Using the unprecedented sensitivity of the James Webb Telescope, the research team hopes to be able to take an actual image of the young planet.
If planets in the disc are confirmed, it will become a prime laboratory for the study of planet-disc interaction
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