Mysterious Ripples Speed Through Planet-Forming Disc Around Young Star

Astronomers have discovered some never-before-seen structures within a dusty disc surrounding a nearby star. They've found fast-moving, wave-like features that are unlike anything ever observed or even predicted before now.

In this case, the researchers looked at AU Microsopii, which is known as AU Mic for short. This particular star is young and is surrounded by a large disc of dust. Studying such a debris disc can actually provide astronomers with valuable clues about how planets, which form from these discs, are created.

In this case, researchers searched AU Mic's disc for any signs of clumpy or warped features that may give away the position of possible planets. During their search, they discovered something very unusual.

"Our observations have shown something unexpected," said Anthony Boccaletti, one of the researchers, in a news release. "These images from SPHERE show a set of unexplained features in the disc which have an arch-like, or wave-like, structure, unlike anything that has ever been observed before."

In fact, the researchers spotted five wave-like arches at different distances from the star. Interestingly, these ripples are actually moving quickly, racing away from the star at speeds of about 40,000 kilometers per hour.

"One explanation for the strange structure links them to the star's flares," said Glenn Schneider, one of the researchers. "AU Mic is a star with high flaring activity-it often lets off huge and sudden bursts of energy from on or near its surface. One of these flares could perhaps have triggered something on one of the planets-if there are planets-like a violent stripping of material which could now be propagating through the disc, propelled by the flare's force."

The findings are published in the journal Nature.

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