Before-and-after snapshots show for the first time that crystalline silicates form in the scalding-hot inner portion of a disk around an actively forming star — and could end up in comets at the edge of its system.
Previously incompatible facts: 1. Comets contain crystalline silicates. 2. Crystalline silicates require intense heat to form. 3. Comets spend most of their time in the outer reaches of our solar system, where it is incredibly cold. This leads to a logical question: Where did those crystals form?
Two new mid-infrared observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope offer clear evidence to help answer this question. Webb’s observations of the dust-encased, actively forming star EC 53 showed that crystalline silicates form in a super-hot, inner portion of a star’s disk of gas and dust.
Webb captured the “action” with before-and-after datasets. Researchers compared the star’s overall activity — and the minerals around it — during a quieter phase and an outburst. This allowed them to map the movement of the star’s jets, outflows and winds, and track where the crystals are likely moving. They concluded that these crystalline silicates may be “flung” near and far, including to the edges of the star’s system — and could eventually end up in comets. Full details are available on NASA.gov.
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