2023-11-29 18:06:05
The six planets of the HD 110067 system together create a fascinating geometric pattern due to their chain of resonance. – THIBAUT ROGER (NCCR PLANETS).
MADRID, 29 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
An international team of astronomers presents in an article published in ‘Nature’ a peculiar family of six planets in orbit around a Sun-like star called HD 110067.
Although multiplanetary systems are common in our galaxy, those in a tight gravitational formation known as a resonance are observed much less frequently.
The resonant configuration means that the orbits are synchronized in a particular way. In this case, the planet closest to the star makes three orbits for every two of the next planet, which is called 3/2 resonance, a pattern that is repeated among the four closest planets. In the case of the most distant planets, it is four orbits for every three of the next planet, a 4/3 resonance.
Resonant orbital systems like this are extremely important because they inform astronomers about the formation and subsequent evolution of the planetary system. Planetary systems tend to form in resonance, but can be easily disturbed. For example, a very massive planet in the system, a close encounter with a passing star, or any type of merger or collision can upset the delicate balance. Therefore, finding a resonant system is like observing a fossil planetary system.
HD 110067 invites us to continue studying it, as it shows us the unaltered configuration of a planetary system that has maintained its resonance since its formation: it is likely that the planets have been practicing this same gravitational dance since the system formed, billions ago. of years. In addition, it is the brightest known system with four or more planets. Since all of these planets are smaller than Neptune and likely have extensive atmospheres, they are ideal candidates for studying the composition of their atmospheres with the James Webb Space Telescope.
Juan Carlos Morales, Guillem Anglada-Escudé and Ignasi Ribas, all researchers from the ICE (Institute of Space Sciences)CSIC and the IEEC (Institute of Space Studies of Catalonia), participated in the research by contributing observations made with Carmenes, the search for exoplanets from the Calar Alto Observatory co-developed by the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC).
“Carmenes’ high-resolution spectroscopic observations over a year, together with those from the HARPS-N spectrograph, were used to determine the mass of three of the system’s planets and set strict limits for the others, revealing that they are what we call sub-Neptune class planets,” explains it’s a statement Juan Carlos Morales, researcher at the ICE-CSIC and the IEEC.
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