Ammonia indicator for planet formation history

A group of scientists including Radboud astronomer Rens Waters have for the first time observed ammonia  isotopologues in the atmosphere of an exoplanet.
This gives new clues on how gas giant   planets are  formed: the ammonia isotopologue ratio allows  distinction between formation of gas giants by slow  accretion, like a snowball, or local gravitational  collapse. The results, obtained with the James Webb Space Telescope, are published in Nature. More info…