By: Alan Flurry Inseok Song, associate professor of astronomy in the University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences department of physics and astronomy, has revived a grant from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Song's JWST program, "JWST Mid-IR Observations of Warm Debris Disks around Nearby M-dwarfs", will observe 19 M-type stars, the lowest mass stars that are the most common in the Universe. "M-dwarf stars are the most common type of stars in the universe and likely hosts of nearest planets," Song said. "Using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, my program will investigate dusty disks surrounding these stars—cosmic leftovers from planet formation that can reveal how planetary systems evolve." According to Song, these disks are rare and not well understood. "The James Webb telescope will analyze their infrared light through my program to uncover the materials they contain and how they behave differently from disks around more massive stars. The findings could shed light on how planets form around the most widespread stars in our galaxy." The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), NASA's next flagship infrared observatory, developed in partnership with ESA and CSA, successfully launched on December 25, 2021. After deploying in space and alignment and calibration of the mirrors and instruments, JWST began science operations in July 2022. Image: Artist's conceptualization of the dusty TYC 8241 2652 system as it might have appeared several years ago when it was emitting large amounts of excess infrared radiation. Gemini Observatory/AURA artwork by Lynette Cook. Type of News/Audience: News
