Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 1, 2025
09:46
Production and Measurement of Organic Particulate Matter in the Harvard Environmental Chamber
Published on: November 18, 2018
7.3K
Photochemically produced SO2 in the atmosphere of WASP-39b
Shang-Min Tsai1,2, Elspeth K H Lee3, Diana Powell4
1Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. shangmit@ucr.edu.
Nature
|April 26, 2023
Summary
Astronomers detected sulfur dioxide (SO2) in an exoplanet
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Exoplanet Atmospheres
- Astrochemistry
Background:
- Photochemistry is crucial for planetary atmospheric composition.
- No definitive photochemical products were previously found in exoplanet atmospheres.
- JWST detected a spectral feature attributed to sulfur dioxide (SO2) in WASP-39b's atmosphere.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the origin of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in the exoplanet WASP-39b.
- To confirm the presence and distribution of SO2 using photochemical models.
- To assess SO2 as a tracer for exoplanet atmospheric properties.
Main Methods:
- Utilized JWST transmission observations with NIRSpec PRISM and G395H.
- Employed a suite of photochemical models to simulate SO2 distribution.
- Analyzed the spectral absorption feature at 4.05 micrometers.
Main Results:
- Photochemical models successfully explained the observed 4.05-microm spectral feature of SO2.
- SO2 is generated through the oxidation of sulfur radicals from hydrogen sulfide (H2S) destruction.
- The SO2 feature indicates WASP-39b has a metallicity approximately 10 times solar.
Conclusions:
- The detection of SO2 in WASP-39b confirms the role of photochemistry in exoplanet atmospheres.
- SO2 serves as a valuable tracer for exoplanet atmospheric metallicity.
- Further observations at UV and thermal infrared wavelengths could reveal more about SO2.
Related Concept Videos
01:22The Sulfur Cycle
45.3K
Sulfur, an important element in the chemical makeup of proteins, is recycled through the atmosphere and aquatic and terrestrial environments. Found in the atmosphere as sulfur dioxide (SO2), sulfur is released by decaying organisms, weathered rocks, geothermal vents, volcanos, and burning fossil fuels. It is deposited into the ecosystem, cycled through the biotic community, and either released back into the atmosphere as gas or deposited in marine sediment for long-term storage and eventual...
45.3K
01:22Photosystem II
71.6K
The multi-protein complex photosystem II (PS II) harvests photons and transfers their energy through its bound pigments to its reaction center, and ultimately to photosystem I (PSI) through the electron transport chain. The pigments responsible for caputirng the light energy in photosystems include chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids.
The pigment molecules are arranged across two photosystem domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment...
The pigment molecules are arranged across two photosystem domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment...
71.6K
01:30Anoxygenic Photosynthesis
58
Anoxygenic photosynthesis is a phototrophic process that captures light energy to drive carbon fixation without producing molecular oxygen. Unlike oxygenic photosynthesis, which utilizes water as an electron donor and releases oxygen, anoxygenic phototrophs use alternative electron donors such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), elemental sulfur (S⁰), or thiosulfate (S₂O₃²⁻). This process is carried out by diverse groups of bacteria, including purple bacteria, green...
58
01:46The Calvin Benson Cycle
4.7K
Ribulose 1,5- bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo) is a critical enzyme that catalyzes carbon dioxide assimilation during photosynthesis. However, it is an inefficient enzyme, having an extremely slow catalytic rate. A typical enzyme can process about a thousand molecules per second; however, RuBisCo fixes only around three-carbon dioxides per second. Photosynthetic cells compensate for this slow rate by synthesizing very high amounts of RuBisCo, making it the most abundant single...
4.7K
01:26Oxygenic Photosynthesis
52
Oxygenic photosynthesis is a fundamental process in which light energy is harnessed to drive the oxidation of water, leading to the production of molecular oxygen (O₂), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH). This process is essential for sustaining aerobic life on Earth and is primarily carried out by cyanobacteria, algae, and plants. The core of oxygenic photosynthesis lies in the thylakoid membranes, where chlorophyll pigments facilitate...
52
01:20Sulfur Assimilation
46
Sulfur is an essential element in biological systems, contributing to synthesizing key biomolecules, including amino acids such as cysteine and methionine, and cofactors such as coenzyme A and biotin. Microorganisms primarily assimilate sulfur as sulfate (SO₄²⁻) from the environment, which must undergo a series of biochemical transformations before it can be incorporated into cellular components. As sulfate is highly oxidized, it must undergo assimilatory sulfate reduction to...
46