GW Orionis protoplanetary disk warped by cosmic gas streamer

A research team led by Maria Galloway-Sprietsma from the University of Florida has identified the cause of structural distortions in the GW Orionis planetary system. Located approximately 1,300 light-years away in the Orion constellation, this triple star system features a protoplanetary disk composed of dust and gas.

While previous observations showed the disk was not flat but rather composed of three rings tilted at different angles, the force behind this warping remained a mystery. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile, scientists discovered that a massive cosmic gas streamer, originating from a nearby molecular cloud, is responsible for the distortion.

The gas streamer extends over 0.2 light-years, or nearly two trillion kilometers. As it strikes the outer ring of the protoplanetary disk at a slight angle, it transfers momentum that warps and tilts the disk's plane.