Oph-IRS 48, nicknamed the Cosmic Croissant for its unique shape, is a star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk, about 444 light-years from Earth in the constellation of Ophiuchus. ALMA Discovers Comet Factory. The disk has changed the view of planet formation in astronomy. Studies have shown that the millimeter dust particles are gathered in a crescent shape, while the gas (traced by CO molecules) and small dust grains follow a full disk ring structure.Simon Bruderer, Nienke van der Marel, Ewine F. van Dishoeck and Tim A. van Kempen, Gas structure inside dust cavities of transition disks: Oph-IRS 48 observed by ALMA, Astronomy and Astrophysics. 12/2013; p562.'Dust Trap' around Distant Star May Solve Planet Formation Mystery. The centimeter grains are even more concentrated inside the crescent. jp-carousel-117541. This structure is consistent with theoretical predictions of dust trapping. Also the chemical composition has been studied, with molecules like H2CO being present.Nienke van der Marel (1), Ewine F. van Dishoeck (1 and 2), Simon Bruderer (2), Tim A. van Kempen, Warm formaldehyde in the Oph IRS 48 transitional disk. The dust trap is thought to be conducting the process of planet formation in this young system.
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