Science & Technology, UK (Commonwealth Union) – A group of international researchers has made an intriguing discovery, uncovering an extraordinary Jupiter-sized planet in orbit around a low-mass star designated as TOI-4860, positioned within the Corvus constellation.
This newfound gas giant, referred to as TOI-4860 b, stands out due to 2 distinct characteristics: it defies expectations by being associated with a star of such meager mass, a host generally not thought to accommodate planets of Jupiter’s scale, and it exhibits an intriguingly heightened presence of dense elements.
The research endeavor, overseen by astronomers from the University of Birmingham, reached fruition with the publication of their findings on August 4th within a correspondence featured in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The initial detection of the planet was executed via NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, which captured a transient dimming of its host star as TOI-4860 b made a passage across its face. However, this preliminary data alone could not provide conclusive proof of its planetary status.
In a concerted effort, the team harnessed the capabilities of the SPECULOOS South Observatory, stationed in the arid expanse of Chile’s Atacama Desert, to scrutinize the planetary signal across multiple wavelengths. This rigorous observation enabled the validation of the planet’s planetary identity. Further investigation revealed that the planet remained devoid of luminance during its moments of transit behind its host star, indicating an absence of inherent light emission. To solidify their findings, the researchers joined forces with a Japanese research group utilizing the Subaru Telescope in Hawai’i, resulting in the precise determination of the planet’s mass and thus confirming its existence.
Remarkably, the pursuit of studying this celestial pairing and establishing the reality of its planetary companion was spearheaded by a consortium of doctoral candidates as part of the ambitious SPECULOOS project.
George Dransfield, a PhD student, who recently forwarded her thesis at the University of Birmingham, says “Under the canonical planet formation model, the less mass a star has, the less massive is the disc of material around that star.”
“Since planets are created from that disc, high-mass planets like Jupiter, were widely expected not to form. However, we were curious about this and wanted to check planetary candidates to see if it was possible. TOI-4860 is our first confirmation and the lowest mass star hosting such a high mass planet.”
Heading the research, Amaury Triaud, a distinguished Exoplanetology Professor at the University of Birmingham, expressed his profound gratitude to the brilliant doctoral candidates within their team. Triaud acknowledged their insightful suggestion to investigate systems akin to TOI-4860, emphasizing the significant dividends of their labor. The fruition of their endeavors underscores the importance of planets such as TOI-4860 in advancing our comprehension of the intricate process of planet formation.
“A hint of what might have happened is hidden in the planetary properties, which appear particularly enriched in heavy elements. We have detected something similar in the host star too, so it is likely that an abundance of heavy elements catalysed the planet formation process.”
The recently unveiled colossal gas giant boasts a swift orbital completion of approximately 1.52 days encircling its frigid, low mass host star. However, due to the chilly nature of its host, the planet assumes the classification of a ‘Warm Jupiter.’ This specific category holds a unique allure for astronomers who seek to delve deeper into their initial observations and glean further insights into the intricate genesis of such planetary entities. Evidencing the growing significance of their research, the team has been granted coveted telescope access at the esteemed Very Large Telescope, nestled within Chile. This resource will be harnessed with the intention of corroborating the existence of several more planets boasting akin properties.
