One study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, used Webb to examine 21 extreme debris disks around young stars. These disks contain large amounts of warm dust, and their mid-infrared spectra reveal the composition of debris from planetary collisions. The researchers split the disks into two groups: silica-rich ones, likely formed by high-energy impacts between Mars-sized bodies, and silica-poor ones, which appear to result from lower-energy collisions. Only about 1% of young stars show such disks, making them rare but valuable windows into planet formation.
A separate Webb observation focused on HD 3167 b, a rocky lava world that orbits its star every 24 hours. The telescope found strong evidence for an atmosphere despite the planet's extreme heat, a surprising result because such close-in planets are often thought to lose their atmospheres. This discovery could help scientists understand how rocky planets retain atmospheres under harsh conditions.
These two findings are unrelated, but both highlight Webb's versatility. The debris disk study looks at the aftermath of violent collisions that may resemble the giant impact that formed our Moon, while the lava world study probes atmospheric retention on a scorching exoplanet. Together, they expand our understanding of how rocky planets form and evolve.