For the first time ever, astronomers were able to analyze a super-Earth atmosphere using data gained from the European Space Agency's (ESA's) Hubble Space Telescope. Super-Earths are a class of exoplanets which, to date, have never had their atmosphere analyzed. Now, the recent study reveals that the super-Earth exoplanet 55 Cancri e possesses a dry atmosphere consisting mostly of hydrogen and helium and absent of any indications of water vapor.
"This is a very exciting result because it's the first time that we have been able to find the spectral fingerprints that show the gases present in the atmosphere of a super-Earth," Angelos Tsiaras, who helped in the development of the analysis technique, said in a press release. "The observations of 55 Cancri e's atmosphere suggest that the planet has managed to cling on to a significant amount of hydrogen and helium from the nebula from which it originally formed."
Super-Earths are believed to be the most common type of planet in the Milky Way and gained their name due to possessing masses exceeding that of Earth's, although they are still much smaller than other gas giants in our galaxy.
Although the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on the Hubble Space Telescope has been used to examine the atmospheres of two other super-Earths thus far, no spectral features were found in these studies.
"This result gives a first insight into the atmosphere of a super-Earth. We now have clues as to what the planet is currently like and how it might have formed and evolved, and this has important implications for 55 Cancri e and other super-Earths," said Giovanna Tinetti, who participated in the research.
Even more interesting is the fact that the data contained hints of the presence of hydrogen cyanide, which is an indication of a carbon-rich atmosphere.
"Such an amount of hydrogen cyanide would indicate an atmosphere with a very high ratio of carbon to oxygen," said Olivia Venot, who created an atmospheric chemical model of 55 Cancri e that supported the findings of the current study.
If further research confirms the presence of hydrogen cyanide and other molecules using infrared telecopes, it will lend support to the theory that this super-Earth exoplanet possesses an exotic, carbon-rich atmosphere.
The findings will be released in The Astrophysical Journal and the pre-print can be viewed HERE.
