Astronomy current events question: planet formation around red dwarfs

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2020
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Rachel Atkinson, "UCLan Astronomers Find a Way to Form 'Fast and Furious' Planets Around Tiny Stars" (January 21, 2020)
uclan.ac.uk/news/uclan-astronomers-find-way-to-form-planets-around-tiny-stars.php

Researchers propose that giant planets can rapidly form around red dwarf stars, based on:
(A) solar flare activity.
(B) gravitational waves.
(C) computer simulations.
(D) interstellar dust samples.
(E) planetary ring compositions.

Correct answer: (C)

Student responses
Sections 30679, 30680
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 4 students
(C) : 15 students
(D) : 7 students
(E) : 6 students