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Astronomy

The Physics of Accretion Disks around Young Stars

Quick fact

A typical young star can accrete about 10^{-8} solar masses per year, and the disk's temperature ranges from a few thousand Kelvin near the star to tens of Kelvin at large distances, emitting across infrared to radio wavelengths.

Why this is interesting

You've probably seen stunning images of swirling disks around newborn stars, but what makes them glow and why are they so flat? The answer lies in a balance between gravity and a surprising spin effect.