The odds may have tipped regarding the abundance of wet
Earth-like planets in the galaxy. The presence of "O"
class stars releasing lots of UV radiation within the
large gas clouds where most stars and planets are believed
to form may ruin the development of both comets and gas giants
(comet catchers) in solar systems like our own.
See the New Scientist summary:
http://www.newscientist.com/dailynews/news.jsp?id=ns9999673
Background articles:
Planetary Formation in Dense Clusters: Evidence for the Earliest Stages
Throop, H. B.; Bally, J.; Esposito, L. W.; McCaughrean, M. J.
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000AAS...19712706T&db_key=AST
and
Sandcastles in the Wind : Frustrated Small-Particle Growth in
Circumstellar Disks
Throop, H. B.; Bally, J.; Esposito, L. W
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1999AAS...195.0211T&db_key=AST
Robert
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