Program Results

Introduction to the event

Most stars in the universe are born in pairs which are called binary stars. One of the major questions in astrophysics is whether or not planets around binary stars form differently than around single stars. We use an interdisciplinary approach to study star and planet formation. By analyzing the spectra from water, formaldehyde, and methanol, we can study the physical structure of binary systems. 

In May of 2022, our international collaboration found that the organics and planetary cradles around binary stars evolve differently than single stars. This implies that the nature of the binary system affects how life can emerge from the planetary system around binary systems. This result was published in Nature and picked up by more than 50 news outlets around the world. Our team is involved in large international collaborations using James Webb Space Telescope to study the organic materials around young stars. In addition, with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, a large program is underway to further study complex organics and simple sugars in planetary cradles.

Interview with TTV NEWS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDb0fu1zFug