James Webb Space Telescope finds water in the air of exotic ‘sub-Neptune’ exoplanet
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The concept of this artist explains how the shape of the hot external planets to-421 B. | Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Danny Player
JWST found the water cavity in the air for a long foreign planet, according to new study reports.
This strange world is toi-421 b, and it is the hot boiling “Branch“A star is about 244 light years away from Earth Jwst Recently, in detail.
“One of the most exciting expectations in Exoplanet Science today discovers the origin and makeup of the monobonians, which are high -joined planets Solar power system The analog, “The study team wrote in Determine themWhich was published on Monday (May 5) in the speeches of the astronomical magazine.
Although JWST was specially designed for this type of investigation, the discovery is especially exciting because little is known about this category of planets, which was first identified by the leader in NASA Kepler space telescope. Before JWST, attempts to study the atmosphere of sub-planets that use the spectrum of transmission-measure the light of the stars that were nominated through the planet’s atmosphere when it passes in front of its host star-often resulted in flat or unique spectra.
Therefore, instead of showing chemical fingerprints that can indicate the presence of molecules in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, methane, or water vapor, the spectra of the sub -ends generally did not provide a few useful information. Astronomers have suggested that this lack of details may be due to clouds or virginity, which can block signals.
But the study team believed that TO-421 B may be different, and thus can provide a unique opportunity.
“Why did we notice this planet, TOI-421 B? That’s because we thought it may not have a danger.” He said in a statement. “The reason is that there are some previous data that involves this, perhaps [sub-Neptune] Planets were at a certain temperature less than fog or clouds than others. “
Previous notes with NASA Hubble Space Telescope It has shown that the flat spectral features are common among the sub -monobons with temperatures less than about 1070 ° F (577 ° C).
“The sub -sarcasm is more hot [than this threshold] It is also expected to be free of fog because methane, and thus hydrocarbon sects to form fog, should be less abundant because carbon monoxide becomes the carbon dominant molecule, “the team wrote in the new study.
TOI-421 B, with a temperature in the atmosphere, is estimated at 1,340 ° F (727 ° C), it is in this category that is likely to be fog-free-and after monitoring two carriers using air profiles close to infrared and near the non-roaming spectrum images and indisputable bird tools.
“We have seen spectral features that we attribute to various gases, which allowed us to determine the composition of the atmosphere,” Brian Davorport, PhD. The student at the University of Maryland, who conducted the analysis of the initial data, said at the same statement.
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The team discovered water vapor in the TO-421 B atmosphere, along with possible signs of carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. It is worth noting, they did not find evidence of methane or carbon dioxide. The data also indicates that the atmosphere contains a large amount of hydrogen.
Some of these results are surprising, and challenge the current theories about the formation and development of the Neptune planets.
“We recently dismantled our minds about the idea that those few firsts have noticed to have a heavy island’s atmosphere, so that we have become our expectation, then we found the opposite,” Kimpton said. This means that to-421 b may have been formed and developed differently from the cold monobonians, such as Toi-270 dPreviously observed.
Hydrogen-rich atmosphere is particularly interesting because it significantly reflects the composition of the TO-421 b star.
“If you take the same gas that made the host star, fell over the planet’s atmosphere, and put it at a cooler temperature for this planet, you will get the same mixture of gases,” Kimpton said. “This process is more in line with the giant planets in our solar system, and differs from other sub -variables that have been observed with Webb so far.”
“I was waiting for my entire career for Webb so that we could describe the atmosphere of these smaller planets.” “By studying their atmosphere, we get a better understanding of how to form and develop the subcontractor, and part of this is an understanding of the reason for its absence in our solar system.”