arXiv subjects

David A. Weintraub

Publications and source records attributed to David A. Weintraub.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2016

DM Ori: A Young Star Occulted by a Disturbance in its Protoplanetary Disk

In some planet formation theories, protoplanets grow gravitationally within a young star's protoplanetary disk, a signature of which may be a localized disturbance in the disk's radial and/or vertical structure. Using time-series photometric observations by the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope South (KELT-South) project and the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN), combined with archival observations, we present the discovery of two extended dimming events of the young star, DM Ori. This young system faded by $\sim$1.5 mag from 2000 March to 2002 August and then again in 2013 January until 2014 September (depth $\sim$1.7 mag). We constrain the duration of the 2000-2002 dimming to be $<$ 860 days, and the event in 2013-2014 to be $<$ 585 days, separated by $\sim$12.5 years. A model of the spectral energy distribution (SED) indicates a large infrared excess consistent with an extensive circumstellar disk. Using basic kinematic arguments, we propose that DM Ori is likely being periodically occulted by a feature (possibly a warp or perturbation) in its circumstellar disk. In this scenario, the occulting feature is located $>$6 AU from the host star, moving at $\sim$14.6 km/s, and is $\sim$4.9 AU in width. This localized structure may indicate a disturbance such as may be caused by a protoplanet early in its formation.

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arXiv2015

Recurring Occultations of RW Aurigae by Coagulated Dust in the Tidally Disrupted Circumstellar Disk

We present photometric observations of RW Aurigae, a Classical T Tauri system, that reveal two remarkable dimming events. These events are similar to that which we observed in 2010-2011, which was the first such deep dimming observed in RW Aur in a century's worth of photometric monitoring. We suggested the 2010-2011 dimming was the result of an occultation of the star by its tidally disrupted circumstellar disk. In 2012-2013, the RW Aur system dimmed by ~0.7 mag for ~40 days and in 2014/2015 the system dimmed by ~2 mag for >250 days. The ingress/egress duration measurements of the more recent events agree well with those from the 2010-2011 event, providing strong evidence that the new dimmings are kinematically associated with the same occulting source. Therefore, we suggest that both the 2012-2013 and 2014-2015 dimming events, measured using data from the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope and the Kutztown University Observatory, are also occultations of RW Aur A by tidally disrupted circumstellar material. Recent hydrodynamical simulations of the eccentric fly-by of RW Aur B suggest the occulting body to be a bridge of material connecting RW Aur A and B. These simulations suggest the possibility of additional occultations, supported by the observations presented in this work. The color evolution of the dimmings suggest that the tidally stripped disk material includes dust grains ranging in size from small grains at the leading edge, typical of star forming regions, to large grains, ices or pebbles producing grey or nearly grey extinction deeper within the occulting material. It is not known whether this material represents arrested planet building prior to the tidal disruption event, or perhaps accelerated planet building as a result of the disruption event, but in any case the evidence suggests the presence of advanced planet building material in the space between RW Aur A and B.

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arXiv2015

V409 Tau As Another AA Tau: Photometric Observations of Stellar Occultations by the Circumstellar Disk

AA Tau is a well studied young stellar object that presents many of the photometric characteristics of a Classical T Tauri star (CTTS), including short-timescale stochastic variability attributed to spots and/or accretion as well as long duration dimming events attributed to occultations by vertical features (e.g., warps) in its circumstellar disk. We present new photometric observations of AA Tau from the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope North (KELT-North) which reveal a deep, extended dimming event in 2011, which we show supports the interpretation by Bouvier et al. (2013) of an occultation by a high-density feature in the circumstellar disk located >8 AU from the star. We also present KELT-North observations of V409 Tau, a relatively unstudied young stellar object also in Taurus-Auriga, showing short timescale erratic variability, along with two separate long and deep dimming events, one from January 2009 through late October 2010, and the other from March 2012 until at least September 2013. We interpret both dimming events to have lasted more than 600 days, each with a depth of ~1.4 mag. From a spectral energy distribution analysis, we propose that V409 Tau is most likely surrounded by a circumstellar disk viewed nearly edge-on, and using Keplerian timescale arguments we interpret the deep dimmings of V409 Tau as occultations from one or more features within this disk >10 AU from the star. In both AA Tau and V409 Tau, the usual CTTS short-timescale variations associated with accretion processes close to the stars continue during the occultations, further supporting the distant occulting material interpretation. Like AA Tau, V409 Tau serves as a laboratory for studying the detailed structure of the protoplanetary environments of T Tauri disks, specifically disk structures that may be signposts of planet formation at many AU out in the disk.

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arXiv2014

Star Formation in Orion's L1630 Cloud: an Infrared and Multi-epoch X-ray Study

X-ray emission is characteristic of young stellar objects (YSOs) and is known to be highly variable. We investigate, via an infrared and multi-epoch X-ray study of the L1630 dark cloud, whether and how X-ray variability in young stellar objects is related to protostellar evolutionary state. We have analyzed 11 Chandra X-ray Observatory observations, obtained over the course of four years and totaling ~240 ks exposure time, targeting the eruptive Class I YSO V1647 Ori in L1630. We used 2MASS and Spitzer data to identify and classify IR counterparts to L1630 X-ray sources and identified a total of 52 X-ray emitting YSOs with IR counterparts, including 4 Class I sources and 1 Class 0/I source. We have detected cool (< 3 MK) plasma, possibly indicative of accretion shocks, in three classical T Tauri stars. A subsample of 27 X-ray-emitting YSOs were covered by 9 of the 11 Chandra observations targeting V1647 Ori and vicinity. For these 27 YSOs, we have constructed X-ray light curves spanning approximately four years. These light curves highlight the variable nature of pre-main sequence X-ray emitting young stars; many of the L1630 YSOs vary by orders of magnitude in count rate between observations. We discuss possible scenarios to explain apparent trends between various X-ray spectral properties, X-ray variance and YSO classification.

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arXiv2012

Detection of a Cool, Accretion Shock-Generated X-ray Plasma in EX Lupi During the 2008 Optical Eruption

EX Lupi is the prototype for a class of young, pre-main sequence stars which are observed to undergo irregular, presumably accretion-generated, optical outbursts that result in a several magnitude rise of the optical flux. EX Lupi was observed to optically erupt in 2008 January, triggering Chandra ACIS ToO observations shortly thereafter. We find very strong evidence that most of the X-ray emission in the first few months after the optical outburst is generated by accretion of circumstellar material onto the stellar photosphere. Specifically, we find a strong correlation between the decreasing optical and X-ray fluxes following the peak of the outburst in the optical, which suggests that these observed declines in both the optical and X-ray fluxes are the result of declining accretion rate. In addition, in our models of the X-ray spectrum, we find strong evidence for a ~0.4 keV plasma component, as expected for accretion shocks on low-mass, pre-main sequence stars. From 2008 March through October, this cool plasma component appears to fade as EX Lupi returns to its quiescent level in the optical, consistent with a decrease in the overall emission measure of accretion shock-generated plasma. The overall small increase of the X-ray flux during the optical outburst of EX Lupi is similar to what was observed in previous X-ray observations of the 2005 optical outburst of the EX Lupi-type star V1118 Ori but contrasts with the large increase of the X-ray flux from the erupting young star V1647 Ori during its 2003 and 2008 optical outbursts.

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arXiv2012

Suzaku Observation of Strong Fluorescent Iron Line Emission from the Young Stellar Object V1647 Ori during Its New X-ray Outburst

The Suzaku X-ray satellite observed the young stellar object V1647 Ori on 2008 October 8 during the new mass accretion outburst reported in August 2008. During the 87 ksec observation with a net exposure of 40 ks, V1647 Ori showed a high level of X-ray emission with a gradual decrease in flux by a factor of 5 and then displayed an abrupt flux increase by an order of magnitude. Such enhanced X-ray variability was also seen in XMM-Newton observations in 2004 and 2005 during the 2003-2005 outburst, but has rarely been observed for other young stellar objects. The spectrum clearly displays emission from Helium-like iron, which is a signature of hot plasma (kT ~5 keV). It also shows a fluorescent iron Kalpha line with a remarkably large equivalent width of ~600 eV. Such a large equivalent width suggests that a part of the incident X-ray emission that irradiates the circumstellar material and/or the stellar surface is hidden from our line of sight. XMM-Newton spectra during the 2003-2005 outburst did not show a strong fluorescent iron Kalpha line, so that the structure of the circumstellar gas very close to the stellar core that absorbs and re-emits X-ray emission from the central object may have changed in between 2005 and 2008. This phenomenon may be related to changes in the infrared morphology of McNeil's nebula between 2004 and 2008.

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arXiv2012

X-raying the Beating Heart of a Newborn Star: Rotational Modulation of High-energy Radiation from V1647 Ori

We report a periodicity of ~1 day in the highly elevated X-ray emission from the protostar V1647 Ori during its two recent multiple-year outbursts of mass accretion. This periodicity is indicative of protostellar rotation at near-breakup speed. Modeling of the phased X-ray light curve indicates the high-temperature (~50 MK), X-ray-emitting plasma, which is most likely heated by accretion-induced magnetic reconnection, resides in dense (>~5e10 cm-3), pancake-shaped magnetic footprints where the accretion stream feeds the newborn star. The sustained X-ray periodicity of V1647 Ori demonstrates that such protostellar magnetospheric accretion configurations can be stable over timescales of years.

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arXiv2011

High Cadence Time-Series Photometry of V1647 Orionis

We present high cadence (1-10 hr^-1) time-series photometry of the eruptive young variable star V1647 Orionis during its 2003-2004 and 2008-2009 outbursts. The 2003 light curve was obtained mid-outburst at the phase of steepest luminosity increase of the system, during which time the accretion rate of the system was presumably continuing to increase toward its maximum rate. The 2009 light curve was obtained after the system luminosity had plateaued, presumably when the rate of accretion had also plateaued. We detect a 'flicker noise' signature in the power spectrum of the lightcurves, which may suggest that the stellar magnetosphere continued to interact with the accretion disk during each outburst event. Only the 2003 power spectrum, however, evinces a significant signal with a period of 0.13 d. While the 0.13 d period cannot be attributed to the stellar rotation period, we show that it may plausibly be due to short-lived radial oscillations of the star, possibly caused by the surge in the accretion rate.

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arXiv2011

X-ray Production by V1647 Ori During Optical Outbursts

The pre-main sequence star V1647 Ori has recently undergone two optical/near-infrared (OIR) outbursts that are associated with dramatic enhancements in the stellar accretion rate. Our intensive X-ray monitoring of this object affords the opportunity to investigate whether and how the intense X-ray emission is related to pre-MS accretion activity. Our analysis of all fourteen Chandra X-ray Observatory observations of V1647 Ori demonstrate that variations in the X-ray luminosity of V1647 Ori are correlated with similar changes in the OIR brightness of this source during both (2003-2005 and 2008) eruptions, strongly supporting the hypothesis that accretion is the primary generation mechanism for the X-ray outbursts. Furthermore, the Chandra monitoring demonstrates that the X-ray spectral properties of the second eruption were strikingly similar to those of the 2003 eruption. We find that X-ray spectra obtained immediately following the second outburst - during which V1647 Ori exhibited high X-ray luminosities, high hardness ratios, and strong X-ray variability - are well modeled as a heavily absorbed (N_H ~ 4x10^22 cm^-2), single-component plasma with characteristic temperatures (kT_X ~ 2-6 keV) that are consistently too high to be generated via accretion shocks but are in the range expected for plasma heated by magnetic reconnection events. We also find that the X-ray absorbing column has not changed significantly throughout the observing campaign. Since the OIR and X-ray changes are correlated, we hypothesize that these reconnection events either occur in the accretion stream connecting the circumstellar disk to the star or in accretion-enhanced protostellar coronal activity.

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arXiv2010

A sub-millimeter Mapping Survey of Herbig AeBe Stars

We have acquired sub-millimeter observations of 33 fields containing 37 Herbig Ae/Be (HAEBE) stars or potential HAEBE stars, including SCUBA maps of all but two of these stars. Nine target stars show extended dust emission. The other 18 are unresolved, suggesting that the dust envelopes or disks around these stars are less than a few arcseconds in angular size. In several cases we find that the strongest sub-millimeter emission originates from younger, heavily embedded sources rather than from the HAEBE star, which means that previous models must be viewed with caution. These new data, in combination with far-infrared flux measurements available in the literature, yield SEDs from far-infrared to millimeter wavelengths for all the observed objects. Isothermal fits to these SEDs demonstrate excellent fits, in most cases, to the flux densities longward of 100 μm. We find that a smaller proportion of B-type stars than A and F-type stars are surrounded by circumstellar disks, suggesting that disks around B stars dissipate on shorter time scales than those around later spectral types. Our models also reveal that the mass of the circumstellar material and the value of beta are correlated, with low masses corresponding to low values of beta. Since low values of beta imply large grain sizes, our results suggest that a large fraction of the mass in low-beta sources is locked up in very large grains. Several of the isolated HAEBE stars have disks with very flat sub-millimeter SEDs. These disks may be on the verge of forming planetary systems.

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arXiv2010

Near-IR Molecular Hydrogen Emission of Protostars: Probing Circumstellar Environments

We present new observations of near-infrared molecular hydrogen (H2) line emission in a sample of 18 Class I and flat-spectrum low mass protostars, primarily in the Tau- Aur and ρ Oph dark clouds. The line emission is extended by up to several arcseconds (several hundred AU) for most objects, and there is little night-to-night variation in line strength coincident with the continuum point source. Flux ratios of H2 v = 2 - 1 S(1) and v = 1 - 0 S(1) lines are consistent with this emission arising in jets or winds in many objects. However, most objects have only small offsets (under 10 km s-1) between their H2 and photospheric radial velocities. No objects have line ratios which are clearly caused solely by UV excitation, but the H2 emission of several objects may be caused by UV or X-ray excitation in the presence of circumstellar dust. There are several objects in the sample whose observed velocities and line fluxes suggest quiescent, non-mechanical origins for their molecular hydrogen emissions. Overall we find the H2 emission properties of these protostars to be similar to the T Tauri stars studied in previous surveys.

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arXiv2010

A few days before the end of the 2008 extreme outburst of EX Lup : accretion shocks and a smothered stellar corona unveiled by XMM-Newton

In mid-January 2008, EX Lup, the prototype of the small class of eruptive variables called EXors, began an extreme outburst that lasted seven months. We observed EX Lup during about 21 h with XMM-Newton, simultaneously in X-rays and UV, on August 10-11, 2008 -- a few days before the end of its 2008 outburst -- when the optical flux of EX Lup remained about 4 times above its pre-outburst level. The observed spectrum of the low-level period is dominated below ~1.5 keV by emission from a relatively cool plasma (~4.7 MK) that is lightly absorbed (NH~3.6E20 cm^-2) and above ~1.5 keV by emission from a plasma that is ~ten times hotter and affected by a photoelectric absorption that is 75 times larger. During the X-ray flare, the emission measure and the intrinsic X-ray luminosity of this absorbed plasma component is five times higher than during the low-level period. The soft X-ray spectral component is most likely associated with accretion shocks, as opposed to jet activity, given the absence of forbidden emission lines of low-excitation species (e.g., [O I]) in optical spectra of EX Lup obtained during outburst. The hard X-ray spectral component, meanwhile, is most likely associated with a smothered stellar corona. The UV emission is reminiscent of accretion events, such as those already observed with the Optical/UV Monitor from other accreting pre-main sequence stars, and is evidently dominated by emission from accretion hot spots. The large photoelectric absorption of the active stellar corona is most likely due to high-density gas above the corona in accretion funnel flows (abridged).

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arXiv2008

Spatially-resolved Chandra Imaging Spectroscopy of the classical/weak-lined T Tauri system V710 Tau

We present spatially-resolved X-ray observations of the binary T Tauri star system V710 Tau. Using Chandra's Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer (ACIS), we imaged this 3.2'' separation binary system, consisting of a classical T Tauri star, V710 Tau N, and a weak-lined T Tauri star, V710 Tau S. The Chandra ACIS-S3 images -- obtained in two 9 ks exposures separated by about three months (2004 December and 2005 April) -- cleanly resolve the V710 Tau binary, demonstrating that both stars emit X-rays and thereby enabling the first spectral/temporal study of the individual components of this mixed (classical and weak-lined) T Tauri star binary system. The northern component, V710 Tau N, appears to have been in a flaring state during the first (2004 December) exposure. During this flare event, the X-ray flux of the classical T Tauri star hardened significantly. Single-component plasma models with plasma temperatures in the range kT ~ 0.7-1.1 keV are adequate to fit the observed X-ray spectra of V710 Tau S in 2004 December and both stars in 2005 April. The 2004 December flare-state observation of V710 Tau N requires a higher-temperature plasma component (kT ~ 2.5 - 3.0 keV) in addition to the soft component (kT ~ 0.5 keV) and is better fit by a model that includes a slightly enhanced Ne/Fe abundance ratio. These results are generally consistent with statistical contrasts between the X-ray emission properties of classical (rapidly accreting) vs. weak-lined (weakly accreting or non-accreting) T Tauri stars.

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arXiv2008

Quiescent H2 Emission From Pre-Main Sequence Stars in Chamaeleon I

We report the discovery of quiescent emission from molecular hydrogen gas located in the circumstellar disks of six pre-main sequence stars, including two weak-line T Tauri stars (TTS), and one Herbig AeBe star, in the Chamaeleon I star forming region. For two of these stars, we also place upper limits on the 2->1 S(1)/1->0 S(1) line ratios of 0.4 and 0.5. Of the 11 pre-main sequence sources now known to be sources of quiescent near-infrared hydrogen emission, four possess transitional disks, which suggests that detectable levels of H$_2$ emission and the presence of inner disk holes are correlated. These H$_2$ detections demonstrate that these inner holes are not completely devoid of gas, in agreement with the presence of observable accretion signatures for all four of these stars and the recent detections of [Ne II] emission from three of them. The overlap in [Ne II] and H$_2$ detections hints at a possible correlation between these two features and suggests a shared excitation mechanism of high energy photons. Our models, combined with the kinematic information from the H$_2$ lines, locate the bulk of the emitting gas at a few tens of AU from the stars. We also find a correlation between H$_2$ detections and those targets which possess the largest H$α$ equivalent widths, suggesting a link between accretion activity and quiescent H$_2$ emission. We conclude that quiescent H$_2$ emission from relatively hot gas within the disks of TTS is most likely related to on-going accretion activity, the production of UV photons and/or X-rays, and the evolutionary status of the dust grain populations in the inner disks.

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arXiv2007

Evidence for Accretion in the High-resolution X-ray Spectrum of the T Tauri Star System Hen 3-600

We present high-resolution X-ray spectra of the multiple T Tauri star system Hen 3-600, obtained with the High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrograph on the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Two binary components were detected in the zeroth-order image. Hen 3-600-A, which has a large mid-infrared excess, is a 2-3 times fainter in X-rays than Hen 3-600-B, due to a large flare on B. The dispersed X-ray spectra of the two primary components overlap spatially; spectral analysis was performed on the combined system. Analysis of the individual spectra was limited to regions where the contributions of A and B can be disentangled. This analysis results in two lines of evidence indicating that the X-ray emission from Hen 3-600 is derived from accretion processes: line ratios of O VII indicate that the characteristic density of its X-ray-emitting plasma is large; a significant component of low-temperature plasma is present and is stronger in component A. These results are consistent with results obtained from X-ray gratings spectroscopy of more rapidly accreting systems. All of the signatures of Hen 3-600 that are potential diagnostics of accretion activity -- X-ray emission, UV excess, H-alpha emission, and weak infrared excess -- suggest that its components represent a transition phase between rapidly accreting, classical T Tauri stars and non-accreting, weak-lined T Tauri stars.

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arXiv2004

The Coronal X-ray Spectrum of the Multiple Weak-Lined T Tauri Star System HD 98800

We present high-resolution X-ray spectra of the multiple (hierarchical quadruple) weak-lined T Tauri star system HD 98800, obtained with the High Energy Transmission Gratings Spectrograph (HETGS) aboard the Chandra X-ray Observatory (CXO). In the zeroth-order CXO/HETGS X-ray image, both principle binary components of HD 98800 (A and B, separation 0.8'') are detected; component A was observed to flare during the observation. The infrared excess (dust disk) component, HD 98800B, is a factor ~4 fainter in X-rays than the apparently ``diskless'' HD 98800A, in quiescence. The line ratios of He-like species (e.g., Ne IX, O VII) in the HD 98800A spectrum indicate that the X-ray-emitting plasma around HD 98800 is in a typical coronal density regime (log n <~ 11). We conclude that the dominant X-ray-emitting component(s) of HD 98800 is (are) coronally active. The sharp spectral differences between HD 98800 and the classical T Tauri star TW Hya demonstrate the potential utility of high-resolution X-ray spectroscopy in providing diagnostics of pre-main sequence accretion processes.

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arXiv2002

ROSAT X-ray Spectral Properties of Nearby Young Associations: TW Hydrae, Tucana-Horologium, and the beta Pic Moving Group

We present archival ROSAT data for three recently identified, nearby (D<70 pc), young (~10-40 Myr) stellar associations: the TW Hydrae Association, the Tucana-Horologium Association, and the beta Pic Moving Group. The distributions of ROSAT X-ray hardness ratios (HR1, HR2) for these three groups, whose membership is dominated by low-mass, weak-lined T Tauri stars, are tightly clustered and very similar to one another. The value of HR1 for TW Hya itself -- the only bona fide classical T Tauri star in any of the nearby groups -- is clearly anomalous among these nearby young stars. We compare the hardness ratio distributions of stars in the three nearby groups with those of T Tauri stars, the Hyades, and main sequence dwarfs in the field. This comparison demonstrates that the X-ray spectra of F through M stars soften with age, and that F and G stars evolve more rapidly in X-ray spectral hardness than do K and M stars. It is as yet unclear whether this trend can be attributed to age-dependent changes in the intrinsic X-ray spectra of stars of type F and later, to a decrease in the column density of circumstellar gas (e.g., in residual protoplanetary disks), or to the diminishing contributions of star-disk interactions to X-ray emission. Regardless, these results demonstrate that analysis of archival ROSAT X-ray spectral data can help both to identify nearby, young associations and to ascertain the X-ray emission properties of members of known associations.

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arXiv2002

Detection of Molecular Hydrogen Orbiting a "Naked" T Tauri Star

Astronomers have established that for a few million years newborn stars possess disks of orbiting gas and dust. Such disks, which are likely sites of planet formation, appear to disappear once these stars reach ages of 5-10 times 10^6 yr; yet, >= 10^7 yr is thought necessary for giant planet formation. If disks dissipate in less time than is needed for giant planet formation, such planets may be rare and those known around nearby stars would be anomalies. Herein, we report the discovery of H_2 gas orbiting a weak-lined T Tauri star heretofore presumed nearly devoid of circumstellar material. We estimate that a significant amount of H_2 persists in the gas phase, but only a tiny fraction of this mass emits in the near-infrared. We propose that this star possesses an evolved disk that has escaped detection thus far because much of the dust has coagulated into planetesimals. This discovery suggests that the theory that disks are largely absent around such stars should be reconsidered. The widespread presence of such disks would indicate that planetesimals can form quickly and giant planet formation can proceed to completion before the gas in circumstellar disks disperses.

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