Planetary Disk Model (IMAGE)

Carnegie Institution for Science

Planetary Disk Model

Caption

Boss' model of a planet-forming disk, which demonstrates that gas giant planets could be found orbiting Sun-like stars at distances similar to Jupiter and Saturn. The disk extends from 4 to 20 times the distance of the Earth from the Sun. You can see the spiral arms forming in the midplane of the disk. The disk instability theory suggests that gas giant planets can form from the clumps seen in the densest regions of the spiral arms.

Credit

Alan Boss

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