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   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Astronomers discover a key planetary system to understand the formation   
   mechanism of the mysterious 'super-Earths'    
    The system, named TOI-2096, consists of two planets orbiting a cool star   
   in a synchronized dance at approximately 150 light-years from Earth.    
      
     Date:   
         May 25, 2023   
     Source:   
         University of Liege   
     Summary:   
         A study presents the detection of a system of two planets   
         slightly larger than Earth orbiting a cold star in a synchronized   
         dance. Named TOI-2096, the system is located 150 light-years from   
         Earth. This system, located 150 light-years from Earth, is one of   
         the best candidates for a detailed study of their atmosphere with   
         the JWST space telescope.   
      
      
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   FULL STORY   
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   A study led by researchers of the University of Lie`ge and the CSIC --   
   using observations from NASA's TESS telescope -- presents the detection   
   of a system of two planets slightly larger than Earth orbiting a cold   
   star in a synchronized dance. Named TOI-2096, the system is located 150   
   light-years from Earth.   
      
   The discovery is the result of a close collaboration between European and   
   American universities and was made possible by the US space mission TESS   
   (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite), which aims to find planets   
   orbiting nearby bright stars. "TESS is conducting an all-sky survey   
   using the transit method, that is, monitoring the stellar brightness of   
   thousands of stars in the search for a slight dimming, which could be   
   caused by a planet passing between the star and the observer. However,   
   despite its power to detect new worlds, the TESS mission needs support   
   from ground-based telescopes to confirm the planetary nature of the   
   detected signals," explains Francisco J. Pozuelos, astrophysicist,   
   first author of the paper, former member of the ExoTIC laboratory at   
   the Univeristy of Lie`ge, and who has now joined the Spanish National   
   Research Council (IAA-CSIC).   
      
   The planets TOI-2096 b and TOI-2096 c were observed with an international   
   network of ground-based telescopes, allowing their confirmation and   
   characterization. The majority of the transits were obtained with   
   telescopes of the TRAPPIST and SPECULOOS projects led by the University   
   of Lie`ge. "Making an exhaustive analysis of the data, we found that the   
   two planets were in resonant orbits: for each orbit of the outer planet,   
   the inner planet orbits the star twice," says Mathilde Timmermans,   
   a doctoral student at the ExoTIC lab at ULie`ge and second author of   
   the scientific paper. Their periods are therefore very close to being a   
   multiple of each other with about 3.12 days for planet b and about 6.38   
   days for planet c. This is a very particular configuration, and it causes   
   a strong gravitational interaction between the planets. This interaction   
   delays or accelerates the passage of the planets in front of their star   
   and could lead to the measurement of the planetary masses using larger   
   telescopes in the near future."  The researchers behind the discovery   
   estimate that the radius of planet b - - the closest to its star -- is 1.2   
   times that of Earth, hence the name 'super- Earth'. Its properties could   
   be similar to Earth's: a planet with a mostly rocky composition, possibly   
   surrounded by a thin atmosphere. Similarly, the radius of planet c is   
   1.9 times the radius of the Earth and 55% that of Neptune, which could   
   place the planet in the category of 'mini-Neptunes', planets composed   
   of a rocky and icy core surrounded by extended hydrogen- or water-rich   
   atmospheres, such as Uranus and Neptune in our Solar System. These   
   sizes are very interesting because the number of planets with a radius   
   between 1.5 and 2.5 Earth radii is smaller than what theoretical models   
   predict, making these planets a rarity. These planets are of crucial   
   importance given their sizes," notes Mathilde Timmermans, "the formation   
   of super-Earths and mini- Neptunes remains a mystery today. There   
   are several formation models trying to explain it, but none fits the   
   observations perfectly. TOI-2096 is the only system found to date that has   
   a super-Earth and a mini-Neptune precisely at the sizes where the models   
   contradict each other. In other words, TOI-2096 may be the system we've   
   been looking for to understand how these planetary systems have formed."   
   "Furthermore, these planets are among the best in their category to study   
   their possible atmospheres," explains Francisco J. Pozuelos. Thanks to   
   the relative sizes of the planets with respect to the host star, as well   
   as the brightness of the star, we find that this system is one of the   
   best candidates for a detailed study of their atmosphere with the JWST   
   space telescope. We hope to be able to do this quickly by coordinating   
   with other universities and research centers. These studies will help   
   confirm the presence of an atmosphere, extensive or not, around planets   
   b and c and thus give us clues as to their formation mechanism."   
       * RELATED_TOPICS   
             o Space_&_Time   
                   # Extrasolar_Planets # Kuiper_Belt # Solar_System #   
                   Stars # Pluto # Astronomy # Satellites # Space_Telescopes   
       * RELATED_TERMS   
             o Space_observatory o Spitzer_space_telescope o Light-year o   
             Venus o Titan_(moon) o History_of_Earth o Planet o Milky_Way   
      
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   Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Liege. Note: Content   
   may be edited for style and length.   
      
      
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. F. J. Pozuelos, M. Timmermans, B. V. Rackham, L. J. Garcia, A. J.   
      
         Burgasser, S. R. Kane, M. N. Gu"nther, K. G. Stassun, V. Van   
         Grootel, M.   
      
         De'vora-Pajares, R. Luque, B. Edwards, P. Niraula, N. Schanche,   
         R. D.   
      
         Wells, E. Ducrot, S. Howell, D. Sebastian, K. Barkaoui, W. Waalkes,   
         C.   
      
         Cadieux, R. Doyon, R. P. Boyle, J. Dietrich, A. Burdanov,   
         L. Delrez, B.- O. Demory, J. de Wit, G. Dransfield, M. Gillon,   
         Y. Go'mez Maqueo Chew, M.   
      
         J. Hooton, E. Jehin, C. A. Murray, P. P. Pedersen, D. Queloz, S. J.   
      
         Thompson, A. H. M. J. Triaud, S. Zu'n~iga-Ferna'ndez, K. A. Collins,   
         M. M Fausnaugh, C. Hedges, K. M. Hesse, J. M. Jenkins, M. Kunimoto,   
         D. W.   
      
         Latham, A. Shporer, E. B. Ting, G. Torres, P. Amado, J. R. Rodo'n,   
         C.   
      
         Rodri'guez-Lo'pez, J. C. Sua'rez, R. Alonso, Z. Benkhaldoun,   
         Z. K. Berta- Thompson, P. Chinchilla, M. Ghachoui,   
         M. A. Go'mez-Mun~oz, R. Rebolo, L.   
      
         Sabin, U. Schroffenegger, E. Furlan, C. Gnilka, K. Lester,   
         N. Scott, C.   
      
         Aganze, R. Gerasimov, C. Hsu, C. Theissen, D. Apai, W. P. Chen,   
         P. Gabor, T. Henning, L. Mancini. A super-Earth and a mini-Neptune   
         near the 2:1 MMR straddling the radius valley around the nearby   
         mid-M dwarf TOI-2096.   
      
         Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2023; 672: A70 DOI:   
         10.1051/0004-6361/202245440   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230525141455.htm   
      
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