Jupiter’s Flat Past: Scientists’ Fascinating Discovery

A groundbreaking study has introduced the idea that massive planets such as Jupiter might have originated not as the spherical bodies we see today but as flattened disks, situated far from their central stars.

Astronomers have found thousands of exoplanets beyond our Solar System, yet the precise process of their formation remains a puzzle.

This recent research utilized computer simulations to model planet formation, drawing on the hypothesis that protoplanets—nascent planetary bodies—emerge rapidly from the fragmentation of vast gaseous disks orbiting newborn stars.

The findings suggest that these early planetary formations likely resembled oblate spheroids, akin to the shape of M&M’s or Smarties candies, rather than being spherical.

Dimitris Stamatellos, a co-author of the study, shared that the assumption of spherical protoplanets in their formation simulations had never been questioned until now. The revelation of their oblate spheroidal shape was unexpected and intriguing.

The research further explored the transformation of these protoplanets into the giant gas planets we recognize, such as Saturn and Jupiter, by comparing the simulation outcomes with existing astronomical observations and examining the conditions under which these planets formed, including variations in gas density and temperature.

Historically, the formation of planets has been attributed to one of two mechanisms. The “core accretion” model describes a slow process where dust particles coalesce over extended periods to form increasingly larger bodies. Alternatively, the “disk instability” theory proposes that planets can form swiftly as sections of the large gaseous disks around young stars break apart.

The study’s simulations reveal that most protoplanets adopt an oblate spheroidal shape rather than a perfect sphere and tend to gather material more quickly at their poles.