Super-Earths May Be Common Orbits of Stars, Astronomers Find

Cleveland [US], April 27 (ANI): According to a new study, super-Earth exoplanets—planetary bodies bigger than our planet yet smaller than either Uranus or Neptune—are much more prevalent across the cosmos than earlier thought.

The finding, uncovered by an international group of scientists utilizing the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), contradicts earlier beliefs regarding how often such fascinating exoplanets occur and where they are typically located.

The research group, headed by astronomers from Ohio State University, Harvard University, along with organizations in China and Korea, found out that super-Earths can orbit as distant from their stars as Jupiter orbits the Sun, contradicting the earlier belief that these planets are typically found only in close proximity to their host stars .

By studying light anomalies caused by gravitational microlensing, the team detected one such super-Earth, OGLE-2016-BLG-0007, which has a mass roughly twice that of Earth and an orbit wider than Saturn's.

"This research indicates that for every three stars "There is probably at least one super-Earth with a Jupiter-like orbit," stated Professor Emeritus Andrew Gould. astronomy At Ohio State University and lead author of the study noted, "We are starting to understand just how common these giant planets are throughout the universe."

The team’s findings were enabled via the method known as microlensing, where the light coming from a far-off star gets curved and amplified due to the gravitational pull of an intervening body like a planet moving before it.

This phenomenon enables scientists to identify celestial bodies that would be challenging to spot with direct observation.

Gould stated that this research represented significant progress, noting further that although scientists were already aware of the prevalence of smaller planets over larger ones, their investigation revealed unexpected variations which provide fresh perspectives on how these celestial bodies are distributed throughout the universe.

Using microlensing, scientists are able to identify planets located at different ranges from their host stars. stars including those with more distant orbits.

This discovery aids in uncovering the extent of super-Earths those found outside the inner solar system, providing insights into planet formation and evolution across various settings.

A key discovery from this research challenges current hypotheses regarding how planets come into being.

It was widely thought that gas giants such as Jupiter and Saturn came into existence via runaway gas accretion. However, this recent research indicates that the formation processes for these planets might differ and could encompass both accretion and gravitational instability.

Gould stated that we are not able to differentiate between the two main theories of planet formation just yet," he continued, "Although the prevailing idea indicates that gas giants form via rapid gas accumulation, some scientists argue for a model that combines this process with gravitational instability. This research introduces additional layers to these theoretical frameworks.

The discovery of super-Earths was enabled by KMTNet, a worldwide telescope network positioned strategically in South Africa, Chile, and Australia.

This network enables researchers to track millions of stars For microlensing occurrences, offering crucial information about far-off exoplanets.

The technology enabling KMTNet's microlensing observations was developed by Ohio State's Imaging Sciences Laboratory (ISL).

Richard Pogge, a co-author of the study and a professor of astronomy at Ohio State, noted the rarity of finding microlensing events and the significant effort required.

Poring over data to detect a microlensing stellar event is challenging enough. Discovering one accompanied by a planet poses an even greater challenge," remarked Pogge, further stating, "To achieve this, we must analyze billions of stars. stars To identify just a few of these microlensing events."

Up until now, among the over 5,000 exoplanets detected so far, merely 237 have been recognized through the microlensing technique.

Nevertheless, thanks to the constant progress in technology and the persistent efforts of global initiatives such as KMTNet, astronomers remain optimistic about future discoveries.

The new findings have broader implications for understanding planetary system formation.

The study revealed that exoplanets can be grouped by both their mass and composition, and it highlighted significant gaps in the distribution of certain types of planets.

These insights will likely open new avenues for future research into how planets form, evolve, and interact with their host stars .

We are rebuilding both the history of the universe and the mechanisms that control it," stated Pogge, further noting, "Assembling all these elements into a unified image has been immensely gratifying.

This study was published in the prestigious journal Science, marking a significant advancement in our understanding of exoplanet distribution and formation.

The research received backing from several organizations such as the National Science Foundation, Tsinghua University, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, along with some additional entities.

With advancements in technology and ongoing international cooperation, astronomers remain hopeful for future findings regarding the abundance and diversity of exoplanets. These discoveries will likely enhance our comprehension of the cosmos and the environments where life could potentially flourish beyond Earth. (ANI)