An international team of astronomers used ALMA to capture high-resolution images of eight protoplanetary disks in the Sigma Orionis cluster, which is irradiated by intense ultraviolet light from a massive nearby star. To their surprise, they found evidence of gaps and rings in most of the disks—structures commonly associated with the formation of giant planets, like Jupiter.
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The Infrastructure of Discovery Doesn’t Happen Overnight — We Can Help
We transform ideas into technologies, laboratories and policies that initiate, inform and inspire. For over seven decades, AUI has developed specialized expertise in science, engineering, technology and cyber security to enable greater impact. Uniquely positioned, we combine exceptional operations management with collaborative community engagement, drive innovation and affect lasting change within organizations.
Experts at Managing Complexity
We create an environment where innovation, imagination and people thrive. Even in the harshest desert terrain, discovery flourishes at ALMA, where AUI has led an international partnership with Europe, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Chile. The $1.4 billion project is a monumental achievement for space exploration and collaborations.
Recent News
U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank Telescope Records Fastest Fast Radio Burst—Yet
Using the U.S. National Science Foundation Green Bank Telescope (NSF GBT), an international team of astronomers led by Yi Feng of China’s Research Center for Astronomical Computing have observed FRB 20220912A as it emitted 128 bursts in under two hours, thus setting a new FRB burst rate record for this class of radio telescope.
Astronomers Discover New Building Blocks for Complex Organic Matter
There should be a lot of carbon in space, but surprisingly, it’s not always easy to find. While it can be observed in many places, it doesn’t add up to the volume astronomers would expect to see. The discovery of a new, complex molecule (1-cyanopyrene), challenges these expectations, about where the building blocks for carbon are found, and how they evolve.