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Surface Mapping of Earth-like Exoplanets using Single Point Light Curves
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Temperate Earth-sized planets transiting a nearby ultracool dwarf star
Michaël Gillon1, Emmanuël Jehin1, Susan M Lederer2
1Institut d'Astrophysique et de Géophysique, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 Août 19C, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Nature
|May 3, 2016
Summary
Astronomers discovered three Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting an ultracool dwarf star. These planets, found close to the star
Area of Science:
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Exoplanet Science
- Stellar Evolution
Background:
- Ultracool dwarfs are star-like objects with temperatures below 2,700 Kelvin.
- They comprise 15% of solar neighborhood astronomical objects, including low-mass stars and brown dwarfs.
- Core-accretion theory predicts a significant population of terrestrial planets around these objects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To search for and characterize terrestrial planets orbiting ultracool dwarf stars.
- To test predictions of planet formation theories around low-mass stars.
- To investigate the potential habitability of planets in the habitable zones of ultracool dwarfs.
Main Methods:
- Observational astronomy utilizing transit photometry to detect exoplanets.
- Analysis of infrared brightness and size of the host ultracool dwarf star.
- Stellar characterization to determine planetary irradiation levels.
Main Results:
- Discovery of three Earth-sized planets transiting an ultracool dwarf star 12 parsecs away.
- Inner planets receive 4x and 2x Earth's irradiation, near the habitable zone's inner edge.
- A third planet with potentially lower irradiation than Earth is indicated, with 11 possible orbits.
Conclusions:
- The discovery confirms the existence of terrestrial planets around ultracool dwarfs.
- The nearby system offers a unique opportunity for detailed exoplanet atmosphere characterization.
- Ultracool dwarfs are promising targets in the search for potentially habitable exoplanets.
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