The atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-107b is so rich in helium that it stretches for tens of kilometers.
The central mass of planet WASP-107b is much smaller than the gas giant standard that scientists thought. Due to its very low density, WASP-107b is known as the “cotton candy” planet or the “super bulging” planet. The new study was published in The Astronomical Journal on January 18.
WASP-107b is 212 light years from Earth. The planet revolves around its host star only 1/16 of the distance between Earth and the Sun. It warms up by flying too close to its host star. Astronomers estimate that WASP-107b is as large as Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system, but its mass is only 1/10.
WASP-107b has a very low density, its core is about four times heavier than Earth, while the atmosphere is 26 times heavier than Earth. This means that the gas crust represents more than 85% of the mass of the planet.
An international team of astronomers, led by Dr Jessica Spake of the University of Exeter, UK, yesterday announced the discovery of the element helium in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-107b after more than ‘a decade of research. This is the first time that scientists have detected helium on a planet outside the solar system.
Exoplanet WASP-107b.
The team used NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to observe the exoplanet WASP-107b. They discovered the element helium by analyzing the atmospheric infrared spectrum of the exoplanet. According to lead researcher Dr Spake, this is very difficult with current technology. The new technique helped scientists detect strong helium signals in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-107b.
WASP-107b is one of the gas planets with the lowest known gas density. It is about the size of Jupiter, but has a mass of only 12%. WASP-107b is about 200 light years from Earth and orbiting its host star for more than 6 days.
The amount of helium detected in WASP-107b’s atmosphere is so large that the planet’s atmosphere stretches tens of kilometers in space. It is also the first time that such an expansive atmosphere has been detected with a foreign wavelength. Due to its expanding atmosphere, the planet loses a significant amount of gas in space as it moves. WASP-107b is estimated to have lost about 0.1 to 4% of its total atmospheric mass over the past billion years.
“We have a lot of questions regarding the WASP-107b. How does a planet with such low densities come about? How does it prevent the giant layer of gas from falling, especially when flying nearby. These issues motivate us to do a more in-depth analysis to understand his training, ”declared Caroline Piaulet, lead author of the study, an expert at the University of Montreal.
Scientists believe that gas giants like Jupiter or Saturn form when a solid nucleus, about 10 times the mass of Earth, collects a lot of gas from the disc of matter surrounding a new star. life. Bulk heart was once considered a mandatory condition. However, WASP-107b suggests that this may not be correct.
“The most plausible hypothesis is that WASP-107b formed far from its host star, where the gas in the disc of matter is cold enough for gas build-up to occur quickly. with the physical disk or with other planets in the system, ”said Professor Eve Lee of McGill University, co-author of the study.
