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Substantial reservoirs of molecular hydrogen in the debris disks around young stars

Thi, W. F.; Natta, A.; van Dishoeck, E. F. +7 more

Circumstellar accretion disks transfer matter from molecular clouds to young stars and to the sites of planet formation. The disks observed around pre-main-sequence stars have properties consistent with those expected for the pre-solar nebula from which our own Solar System formed 4.5Gyr ago. But the `debris' disks that encircle more than 15% of n…