The formation process of stars and planets remains one of the big questions in astrophysical science. Currently, scientists do not understand the required conditions and the accretion, or matter collection process, involved in star and planet formation. The Magnetorotational Instability (MRI) Experiment at PPPL may shed light on this mystery. The project's primary mission is to test the plausibility of a 1991 theory that indicates MRI, a disruptive plasma process, plays a major role in accretion. Researchers physically simulate an accretion disk with liquid metal "standing in" for the plasma, dust, and other materials.
|
