Astronomers discover massive double-ring disk around distant star.
Using ALMA, astronomers have discovered a large double-ring dust disk around the M-dwarf star 2MASS J04124068+2438157. The disk consists of two narrow rings at distances of 70 and 116 AU, with the outer ring being narrower than the local pressure scale height, suggesting the presence of a pressure bump that traps dust particles. The authors suggest that planet-disk interactions are the most likely explanation for the observed gaps and rings in the disk, with the properties of the gap between the two rings indicating the presence of a Saturn-mass planet at about 90 AU from the star. Further observations are required to confirm this assumption.