Science & Technology, Canada (Commonwealth Union) – A captivating exoplanet exists in a distant location, approximately 400 light-years away, and has captivated astronomers since its discovery in 2009. Known as WASP-18 b, this intriguing planet’s orbital period around a star slightly larger than our Sun is a mere 23 hours, making it a unique phenomenon unlike anything found within our Solar System.
Exciting discoveries have emerged from a recent study conducted by Louis-Philippe Coulombe, a Ph.D. student from Université de Montréal. The study focuses on an exoplanet, an ultra-hot gas giant that exceeds Jupiter’s mass by tenfold. By utilizing fresh data acquired from the Canadian NIRISS instrument installed on the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Coulombe’s research promises a multitude of intriguing revelations.
A group of global astronomers have marked water vapor from the environment of the exoplanet WASP-18 b and formed a temperature map of the planet as it fell behind, and reemerged from the star. This process is referred to as a secondary eclipse. Researchers have the ability to go through combined light from the star as well as the planet, then enhance the measurements from just the star as the planet comes in from behind.
‘‘JWST is giving us the sensitivity to make much more detailed maps of hot giant planets like WASP-18 b than ever before. This is the first time a planet has been mapped with JWST, and it’s really exciting to see that some of what our models predicted, such as a sharp drop in temperature away from the point on the planet directly facing the star, is actually seen in the data!’’ explained Megan Mansfield, who is a Sagan Fellow from the University of Arizona, as well as an author of the paper defining the findings.
The researchers tracked the temperature gradients from the day side of the planet. Taking into account the level of coolness the planet is at the terminator, there was a chance of something obstructing winds from effectively redistributing heat to the night side. However, what impacts the winds remains a mystery according to researchers.
The co-author Ryan Challenger, of the University of Michigan, indicated that the brightness map of WASP-18 b indicates lesser east-west winds that are most suitably matched by models having an environmental drag. A likely explanation is that this planet contains a strong magnetic field, which would be an exciting finding.
An elucidation of the eclipse map is that magnetic impact forces the drawing of winds from the planet’s equator above the North pole and below across the South pole, rather than the East-West, which would have been expected according to researchers.
The scientists noted alterations in temperature at various elevations of the gas giant planet’s layers of the environment. They saw temperatures rise with the increase, varying by 100s of degrees.
The spectrum of the environment of the planet clearly displays multiple small but accurately gaged water features, available even though the extreme temperatures of roughly 2,700 degrees Celsius. The temperature on WASP-18 b is extraordinarily high, reaching levels that would normally cause the majority of water molecules to dissociate. However, the fact that water vapor is still detectable speaks volumes about the exceptional sensitivity of the Webb telescope in identifying residual water. Researchers have observed the presence of water vapor at different elevations within the atmosphere of WASP-18 b, indicating its availability throughout the planet’s environment.
The noticing of WASP-18 b was gathered as a component of the Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science Program where Natalie Batalha, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, was at the lead who assisted in coordinating the new research, and the over 100 team researchers.
