Scientists discovered a class of planets whose atmospheres have been stripped away by their host stars. The new findings could be huge when it comes to better understanding and finding planets that may support life.
Planets with gaseous atmospheres that lie very close to their host stars are often bombarded by high-energy radiation from the star. The heat from the star blasts away the envelopes surrounding the planet, which means that the planet is basically stripped of its atmosphere.
In this latest study, the researchers wanted to take a closer look at this phenomenon. They used asteroseismology to characterize the stars and their planets to levels of accuracy not achieved before. This, in turn, could potentially help researchers better understand the conditions in which a rocky planet may have no atmosphere.
"For these planets, it is like standing next to a hairdryer turned up to its hottest setting," said Guy Davies of the University of Birmingham's School of Physics and Astronomy. "There has been much theoretical speculation that such planets might be stripped of their atmospheres. We now have the observational evidence to confirm this, which removes any lingering doubts over the theory."
In fact, the findings show that planets of a certain size that are close to their stars may have been far larger at the beginning of their lives. However, being so close to their star would have stripped away atmosphere and material, causing the planet to become smaller over time.
The findings could be huge for understanding these types of planets. Kepler already has about 1,000 confirmed planets under its belt, which means that learning how to easily identify and characterize these planets is crucial when it comes to the hunt for life on other planets. More specifically, by knowing how to identify these planets, researchers can rule them out as centers for life.
Currently, researchers are planning to discover and characterize many more of these systems with the help of a new generation of satellites. This includes the NASA Tess Mission, which will be launched next year.
The findings were published in the April edition of the journal Nature Communications.
