Overview

• The PEBBLeS survey, led by Cardiff University’s Professor Jane Greaves, used e-MERLIN’s seven-telescope network to target protoplanetary discs around sun-like stars.
• Data presented at the Royal Astronomical Society’s National Astronomy Meeting revealed reservoirs of centimeter-sized aggregates in the discs of DG Tau and HL Tau.
• The newly imaged pebbles represent the intermediate growth phase between microscopic dust grains and kilometer-scale planetesimals in planet formation models.
• Dr. Katie Hesterly of the SKA Observatory said the observed pebble populations extend far enough to potentially build systems larger than our own solar system.
• Researchers are gearing up for SKA-Mid’s science verification in 2031 when its enhanced sensitivity will enable surveys of hundreds more planetary systems.