CXC: First Evidence of a Young Star Devouring a Planet?

[bystander]

Chandra May Have First Evidence of a Young Star Devouring a Planet
NASA | MSFC | SAO | Chandra X-ray Observatory | 2018 Jul 18

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Scientists may have observed, for the first time, the destruction of a young planet or planets around a nearby star. Observations from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory indicate that the parent star is now in the process of devouring the planetary debris. This discovery gives insight into the processes affecting the survival of infant planets.

Since 1937, astronomers have puzzled over the curious variability of a young star named RW Aur A, located about 450 light years from Earth. Every few decades, the star's optical light has faded briefly before brightening again. In recent years, astronomers have observed the star dimming more frequently, and for longer periods.

Using Chandra, a team of scientists may have uncovered what caused the star's most recent dimming event: a collision of two infant planetary bodies, including at least one object large enough to be a planet. As the resulting planetary debris fell into the star, it would generate a thick veil of dust and gas, temporarily obscuring the star's light. ...

X-ray Data May Be First Evidence of a Star Devouring a Planet
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2018 Jul 18

Optical Dimming of RW Aur Associated with an Iron-rich Corona
and Exceptionally High Absorbing Column Density - Hans Moritz Günther et al

• Astronomical Journal 156(2):56 (Aug 2018) DOI: 10.3847/1538-3881/aac9bd
  arXiv.org > astro-ph > arXiv:1807.06995 > 18 Jul 2018