The Onset of Planet Formation in Brown Dwarf Disks

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The onset of planet formation in protoplanetary disks is marked by the growth and crystallization of sub–micrometer-sized dust grains accompanied by dust settling toward the disk mid-plane. Here, we present infrared spectra of disks around brown dwarfs and brown dwarf candidates. We show that all three processes occur in such cool disks in a way similar or identical to that in disks around low- and intermediate-mass stars. These results indicate that the onset of planet formation extends to disks around brown dwarfs, suggesting that planet formation is a robust process occurring in most young circumstellar disks.
All Related Versions