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WASP-107b

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WASP-107b
Artist's impression of exoplanet WASP-107b.[1]
Discovery
Discovered byD. R. Anderson et al.
Discovery date2017
WASP-South
Orbital characteristics
0.0566 ± 0.0017 AU (8,470,000 ± 250,000 km)[2]
Eccentricity0.06 ± 0.04[2]
5.7214742 d[2]
StarWASP-107
Physical characteristics
0.96±0.03 RJ[2]
Mass0.096±0.005[2] MJ

WASP-107b is a super-Neptune exoplanet that orbits the star WASP-107. It lies 200 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Virgo.[3] Its discovery was announced in 2017 by a team led by D. R. Anderson via the WASP-South.[4]

Planetary orbit

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WASP-107b could not have formed in its current orbit. It likely migrated inward from its birth orbit beyond 1 AU due to interaction with the heavier planet WASP-107c. It is in a retrograde orbit, strongly misaligned with the equatorial plane of the parent star. The misalignment angle is equal to 118°+38
−19.[5] WASP-107c follows a highly eccentric and inclined orbit with a period of 1088+15
−16 days.[2]

Physical characteristics

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WASP-107b is a super-Neptune ice giant exoplanet located 200 light years away from Earth in the constellation Virgo.[3] It is roughly the size of Jupiter but less than one-tenth of Jupiter's mass, making it one of known lowest density-exoplanets.[2] This is unusual provided that the mean temperature of its upper atmosphere is only 500 °C (932 °F), much lower than that of similarly inflated exoplanets.[6] Its highly extended and low density atmosphere coupled with transiting a moderately bright orange dwarf star makes it an attractive target for atmospheric characterization via transmission spectroscopy.[7] It is eight times nearer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun and orbits its star every 5.7 days.[3]

Helium was discovered in the planet's atmosphere in 2018, making it the first time helium was discovered on an exoplanet.[8] A follow-up observation with Keck in 2020 showed that the helium absorption extends beyond transit-egress.[9] Extreme ultraviolet radiation from the host star is gradually whittling down the planet's atmosphere, forming a comet-like tail 7 times as long as the radius of the planet.[10][11]

In November 2023, scientists discovered that its atmosphere contains water (H2O) vapour and sulfur dioxide (SO2). The clouds on this planet are made up of silicates.[12][13] The data, along with the unexpectedly low abundance of methane, suggests a hotter interior and a more massive core than previously estimated. Tidal heating, caused by the planet's slightly elliptical orbit, is believed to be the source of the extra internal heat.[14]

In September 2024, again with JWST, it was revealed that there is an east-west asymmetry in the atmospheric properties (e.g, climate, cloud structure) of WASP-107b, which previously had not been expected for planet of its kind.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ heic1809 (2 May 2018). "Hubble detects helium in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time". www.spacetelescope.org. Retrieved 4 May 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Piaulet, Caroline; Benneke, Björn; et al. (2021-01-18). "WASP-107b's Density Is Even Lower: A Case Study for the Physics of Planetary Gas Envelope Accretion and Orbital Migration". The Astronomical Journal. 161 (2): 70. arXiv:2011.13444. Bibcode:2021AJ....161...70P. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/abcd3c. ISSN 1538-3881. S2CID 227208673.
  3. ^ a b c Reed, Nola (2 May 2018). "An Exoplanet First! Helium Spotted on Bizarre Comet-Like World". Space.com.
  4. ^ Anderson, D.R.; Cameron, A. Collier; et al. (August 2017). "The discoveries of WASP-91b, WASP-105b and WASP-107b: Two warm Jupiters and a planet in the transition region between ice giants and gas giants" (PDF). Astronomy & Astrophysics. 604 (A110): A110. arXiv:1701.03776. Bibcode:2017A&A...604A.110A. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201730439. S2CID 58910823.
  5. ^ Rubenzahl, Ryan A.; Dai, Fei; Howard, Andrew W.; Chontos, Ashley; Giacalone, Steven; Lubin, Jack; Rosenthal, Lee J.; Isaacson, Howard; Batalha, Natalie M.; Crossfield, Ian J. M.; Dressing, Courtney; Fulton, Benjamin; Huber, Daniel; Kane, Stephen R.; Petigura, Erik A.; Robertson, Paul; Roy, Arpita; Weiss, Lauren M.; Beard, Corey; Hill, Michelle L.; Mayo, Andrew; Mocnik, Teo; Murphy, Joseph M. Akana; Scarsdale, Nicholas (2021), "The TESS–Keck Survey. IV. A Retrograde, Polar Orbit for the Ultra-low-density, Hot Super-Neptune WASP-107b", The Astronomical Journal, 161 (3): 119, arXiv:2101.09371, Bibcode:2021AJ....161..119R, doi:10.3847/1538-3881/abd177, S2CID 231698426
  6. ^ a b Lea, Robert (2024-09-25). "James Webb Space Telescope finds 'puffball' exoplanet is uniquely lopsided". Space.com. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  7. ^ "First results on the atmosphere of WASP-107b". Wide Angle Search for Planets. September 27, 2017.
  8. ^ Witze, Alexandra (2 May 2018). "Astronomers spot helium on exoplanet for first time". Nature. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-05052-w.
  9. ^ Kirk, James; Alam, Munazza K.; Lopez-Morales, Mercedes; Zeng, Li (2020-01-21). "Confirmation of WASP-107b's extended Helium atmosphere with Keck II/NIRSPEC". The Astronomical Journal. 159 (3): 115. arXiv:2001.07667. Bibcode:2020AJ....159..115K. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ab6e66. S2CID 210838904.
  10. ^ waspplanets (2020-01-22). "Helium reveals the extended atmosphere of WASP-107b". WASP Planets. Retrieved 2020-01-22.
  11. ^ Spake, J. J.; Oklopčić, A.; Hillenbrand, L. A. (2021), "The Posttransit Tail of WASP-107b Observed at 10830 Å", The Astronomical Journal, 162 (6): 284, arXiv:2107.08999, Bibcode:2021AJ....162..284S, doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ac178a, S2CID 236087427
  12. ^ "Clouds made of sand make for a strange kind of rain on this hot planet". NPR News. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  13. ^ Dyrek, Achrène; Min, Michiel; Decin, Leen; Bouwman, Jeroen; Crouzet, Nicolas; Mollière, Paul; Lagage, Pierre-Olivier; Konings, Thomas; Tremblin, Pascal; Güdel, Manuel; Pye, John; Waters, Rens; Henning, Thomas; Vandenbussche, Bart; Ardevol Martinez, Francisco (2023-11-15). "SO2, silicate clouds, but no CH4 detected in a warm Neptune". Nature. 625 (7993): 51–54. arXiv:2311.12515. doi:10.1038/s41586-023-06849-0. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 37967578. S2CID 265219725.
  14. ^ "Webb Cracks Case of Inflated Exoplanet - NASA Science". science.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
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