The path to becoming an orderly planetary system is a messy one. As young stars collapse onto the main sequence, dust grains in orbit around them begin their long journey toward planethood, racing to cling together and collect gas before furious stellar winds whisk it away. Magnetic fields ensnare ionized gas and siphon it onto the star's surface, causing hotspots that blaze in X-rays. Nearby stars can complicate matters, swinging by and warping the disk.
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