NASA | JPL-Caltech | 2017 Oct 11
[img3="This artist's rendering shows a large exoplanet causing small bodies to collide in a disk of dust. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech"]https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/im ... _hires.jpg[/img3][hr][/hr]There's no map showing all the billions of exoplanets hiding in our galaxy -- they're so distant and faint compared to their stars, it's hard to find them. Now, astronomers hunting for new worlds have established a possible signpost for giant exoplanets.
A new study finds that giant exoplanets that orbit far from their stars are more likely to be found around young stars that have a disk of dust and debris than those without disks. The study, published in The Astronomical Journal, focused on planets more than five times the mass of Jupiter. This study is the largest to date of stars with dusty debris disks, and has found the best evidence yet that giant planets are responsible for keeping that material in check. ...
Astronomers found the likelihood of finding long-period giant planets is nine times greater for stars with debris disks than stars without disks. ...
The research does not directly resolve why the giant exoplanets would cause debris disks to form. Study authors suggest the massive gravity of giant planets causes small bodies called planetesimals to collide violently, rather than form proper planets, and remain in orbit as part of a disk. ...
