Advertisement

Updated April 10th, 2020 at 12:45 IST

'Ultra-hot Jupiter' KELT-9b study reveals atmospheric thermometer around hottest exoplanet

Researchers at Cornell University have led an in-depth study into exoplanet KELT-9b popularly known as the 'ultra-hot' Jupiter.

Reported by: Ananya Varma
Jupiter
| Image:self
Advertisement

Researchers at Cornell University have led an in-depth study into exoplanet KELT-9b popularly known as the 'ultra-hot' Jupiter in order to discover more about the exoplanet's transmission spectrum. The study which was published in the journal of the American Astronomical Society was led by Jake Turner of Cornell University along with a team of scientists who discovered that the absorption lines along the exoplanet act as atmospheric 'thermometers'. 

Read: US Experts Discover Siphonophore Apolemia With 'UFO Structure', Netizens Curious

Called as the 'ultra-hot' Jupiter, exoplanet KELT-9b clocks a dayside temperature of more than 4,500 K (~7,600 °F). It is the hottest planet known, hotter than many stars too! This ultra-hot Jupiter orbits at a mere 0.035 AU from its scalding A- or B-type host star in just 1.5 days.

Read:Coronavirus Lockdown Reducing Earth’s Seismic Vibrations: Geoscientists

Absorption lines act as atmospheric thermometers

The high temperature of this planet accompanied with intense radiation should dissociate molecules into their component atoms and ionize metals in the hot atmosphere. The energetic light should even inflate the envelope of hydrogen gas around the planet to the point where the hot gas escapes. However, for the second time, the presence of ionized calcium, Ca II, was discovered in KELT-9b's atmospheric spectra along with a prominent Ha absorption, confirming the existence of an extended envelope of hydrogen surrounding the irradiated planet. 

Read: NASA Announces New Mission To Study Causes Of Solar Particle Storms, Names It 'SunRISE'

Turner and scientists were able to identify the pressures, altitudes, and temperatures of the lines in the atmosphere by modeling this atmospheric spectra. It was found that the Ca II lines probe the atmosphere at an altitude of about 1.32-1.40 times the planet's radius. The Ha line provides information from higher up, at 1.44 planetary radii. Together, these absorption lines act as 'atmospheric thermometers,' providing an atmospheric temperature profile of the hottest planet and yielding insight into the energy that enters and leaves the planet's atmosphere.

(With ANI Inputs)

Read: Ice Age Structure Built From Remains Of Mammoths, Discovered By Scientists In Russia

Advertisement

Published April 10th, 2020 at 12:45 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

Allu Arjun Unveils His Wax Statue At Madame Tussauds In Dubai
a minute ago
How to Keep Yourself Safe from Unhealthy Air?
8 minutes ago
TMC Delgation at ECI Office
20 minutes ago
Congress Press Conference
26 minutes ago
Raw Mango
27 minutes ago
Gen Z worker goes to the salon while “working from home”
29 minutes ago
Lionel Messi
30 minutes ago
Jailed Gangster Mukhtar Ansari Passes Away
32 minutes ago
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE
35 minutes ago
Tie-dye printed shirts
40 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo