Researchers from IRAM and IPAG have announced new results shedding light on how young planetary systems form. Using the NOEMA interferometer together with the IRAM 30-meter telescope, the team studied how accretion streamers (flows of interstellar material) feed protoplanetary disks around newly born stars.
Observations of the protostar L1489 IRS reveal that these streamers can be massive enough to replenish disks multiple times and significantly alter their chemical composition. By transporting fresh, unprocessed material from the surrounding environment, they establish a direct connection between the interstellar medium and the regions where planets form.
These results highlight the important role of external accretion in shaping protoplanetary disks and call for a re-examination of classical models of star and planet formation. Read the full press release here and related publications: Tanious et al. 2024 and Tanious et al. 2025.
Image: Artist’s interpretation of a star-forming nursery shaped by magnetic fields. Credit: NSF/AUI/NSF NRAO/P.Vosteen