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A free-floating-planet microlensing event caused by a Saturn-mass object.

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Astronomers measured the mass of a free-floating planet using gravitational microlensing. This ejected planet, likely formed in a protoplanetary disk, offers new insights into planetary system dynamics.

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Area of Science:

  • Exoplanetary Science
  • Gravitational Microlensing
  • Astrophysics

Background:

  • Free-floating planets (FFPs) are detected via gravitational microlensing, but their masses are typically unconstrained due to a mass-distance degeneracy.
  • Statistical analyses suggest many FFPs are less massive than Jupiter, implying formation within protoplanetary disks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the first direct mass measurement of an FFP by breaking the mass-distance degeneracy.
  • To determine the formation mechanism (planetary vs. isolated) of a specific FFP.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a joint ground- and space-based observation campaign for the microlensing event KMT-2024-BLG-0792/OGLE-2024-BLG-0516.
  • Analyzed microlensing light curves to resolve the mass-distance degeneracy.

Main Results:

  • Measured the mass of the lensing object to be approximately 1.1 Jupiter masses.
  • The object is either gravitationally unbound or on a very wide orbit, consistent with an ejected planetary-mass object.

Conclusions:

  • The observed FFP likely formed in a protoplanetary disk and was subsequently ejected by dynamical processes.
  • This finding supports the theory that a significant population of FFPs originates from planetary formation mechanisms.