| To refine this basic picture, we need to learn about the motion and chemical state of the gas and dust in real protoplanetary disks. |
| These observations allow for the first time to study the characteristics of the dust from protoplanetary discs at distances where terrestrial planets form. |
| It will search for the cold cosmic dust and line transitions from many molecules in a considerable number of objects, from quasars at large redshift to protoplanetary disks in regions of star formation. |
| The interferometer MIDI of the VLTI observed three stars surrounded of protoplanetary discs0000 between 7.5 and 13.5 microns. |
| Team member Dr John Ilee, also of St Andrews, is working on a related European project to investigate protoplanetary discs around young stars. |
| The ring is suggested to be a younger analog of the Kuiper Belt of protoplanetary material. |
