Bibiana Prinoth, Lund Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University. Credit: Florent Renaud
An unique mixed drink for an atmosphere
WASP-189b is a planet outside our own planetary system, situated 322 light years from Earth. Comprehensive observations with the CHEOPS area telescope in 2020 revealed to name a few things that the world is 20 times closer to its host star than Earth is to the Sun and has a daytime temperature level of 3200 degrees Celsius. More recent investigations with the HARPS spectrograph at the La Silla Observatory in Chile now for the first time allowed the researchers to take a more detailed take a look at the atmosphere of this Jupiter-like world.
” We measured the light coming from the worlds host star and passing through the worlds atmosphere. The gases in its atmosphere soak up some of the starlight, similar to Ozone taking in some of the sunlight in Earths atmosphere, and thereby leave their characteristic finger print.
Dr. Jens Hoeijmakers, Lund Observatory, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University. Credit: NCCR PlanetS
An “Ozone layer” on a blisteringly hot planet?
One especially fascinating substance the group discovered is a gas containing titanium: titanium oxide. While titanium oxide is extremely limited in the world, it could play an important function in the atmosphere of WASP-189b– similar to that of ozone in Earths environment. “Titanium oxide takes in brief wave radiation, such as ultraviolet radiation. Its detection could therefore indicate a layer in the atmosphere of WASP-189b that engages with the stellar irradiation likewise to how the Ozone layer does in the world,” research study co-author Kevin Heng, a teacher of astrophysics at the University of Bern and a member of the NCCR PlanetS, describes.
The scientists found hints of such a layer and other layers on the ultra-hot Jupiter-like planet. “In our analysis, we saw that the finger prints of the different gases were a little transformed compared to our expectation. We think that other procedures and strong winds could create these alterations. And since the fingerprints of various gases were altered in various ways, we think that this suggests that they exist in various layers– similarly to how the fingerprints of water vapor and ozone in the world would appear differently modified from a range, due to the fact that they mainly happen in various atmospheric layers,” Prinoth describes. These outcomes might change how astronomers investigate exoplanets.
Prof. Dr. Kevin Heng, Center for Space and Habitability (CSH), University of Bern. Credit: Alessandro Della Bella
A different method to take a look at exoplanets
” In the past, astronomers frequently assumed that the atmospheres of exoplanets exist as an uniform layer and try to understand it. Our outcomes demonstrate that even the atmospheres of extremely irradiated huge gas worlds have complex three-dimensional structures,” research study co-author and associate senior speaker at Lund University Jens Hoeijmakers points out.
” We are convinced that to be able to fully comprehend these and other kinds of planets– consisting of anothers similar to Earth, we require to value the three-dimensional nature of their atmospheres. This needs innovations in information analysis methods, computer system modeling, and fundamental atmospheric theory,” Kevin Heng concludes.
Referral: “Titanium oxide and chemical inhomogeneity in the environment of the exoplanet WASP-189 b” by Bibiana Prinoth, H. Jens Hoeijmakers, Daniel Kitzmann, Elin Sandvik, Julia V. Seidel, Monika Lendl, Nicholas W. Borsato, Brian Thorsbro, David R. Anderson, David Barrado, Kateryna Kravchenko, Romain Allart, Vincent Bourrier, Heather M. Cegla, David Ehrenreich, Chloe Fisher, Christophe Lovis, Andrea Guzmán-Mesa, Simon Grimm, Matthew Hooton, Brett M. Morris, Maria Oreshenko, Lorenzo Pino and Kevin Heng, 27 January 2022, Nature Astronomy.DOI: 10.1038/ s41550-021-01581-z.
Artists impression of WASP-189b, an exoplanet orbiting the star HD 133112 which is one of the hottest stars understood to have a planetary system. Credit: Bibiana Prinoth
An international team consisting of scientists from the University of Bern and the University of Geneva along with the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS evaluated the atmosphere of among the most severe recognized worlds in fantastic detail. The arise from this hot, Jupiter-like world that was very first characterized with the help of the CHEOPS space telescope, may assist astronomers comprehend the intricacies of many other exoplanets– including Earth-like planets.
The atmosphere of Earth is not a consistent envelope however consists of distinct layers that each have particular residential or commercial properties. The least expensive layer that covers from sea level beyond the highest mountain peaks, for example– the troposphere– consists of the majority of the water vapor and is thus the layer in which most weather phenomena take place. The layer above it– the stratosphere– is the one that includes the well-known ozone layer that shields us from the Suns hazardous ultraviolet radiation.
Artists impression of CHEOPS. Credit: © ESA/ ATG medialab
In a brand-new research study that appeared in the journal Nature Astronomy, a worldwide team of researchers led by the University of Lund reveal for the very first time that the atmosphere of among the most extreme recognized planets might have similarly distinct layers too– albeit with very various characteristics.
More recent investigations with the HARPS spectrograph at the La Silla Observatory in Chile now for the very first time enabled the researchers to take a better look at the atmosphere of this Jupiter-like world.
” We measured the light coming from the worlds host star and passing through the planets environment. The gases in its atmosphere absorb some of the starlight, similar to Ozone taking in some of the sunlight in Earths atmosphere, and consequently leave their particular finger print. While titanium oxide is extremely scarce on Earth, it could play an important role in the environment of WASP-189b– similar to that of ozone in Earths environment. Its detection could therefore suggest a layer in the atmosphere of WASP-189b that interacts with the stellar irradiation similarly to how the Ozone layer does on Earth,” study co-author Kevin Heng, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Bern and a member of the NCCR PlanetS, explains.