2024-02-29 13:12:24
The multiple planets in the Trappist-1 system have always been one of our main targets in the search for extraterrestrial life, but a new study found that all Trappist-1 planets may have difficulty maintaining an atmosphere because they are rapidly orbiting their parent star.
TRAPPIST-1 is an ultra-cool red dwarf star 40 light-years away from the Earth with extremely low surface temperature. It is currently known to have 7 Earth-like planets, at least 3 of which are in the habitable zone. But if these planets have no atmosphere, they will not be able to maintain surface liquid water even if they are in the habitable zone, and the possibility of life will be fleeting.
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Recently, new research has discovered this tendency.
TRAPPIST-1e is roughly the same size as the Earth and has a mass of about 0.7 times the Earth. It is the fourth closest planet to its parent star in this system. Astronomers have observed orbital space weather changes and found that the planet rapidly transitions between different stellar wind conditions and pressures. Causing some relaxation in the planet’s magnetic field.
Space weather near Earth also experiences changes caused by the solar wind, causing similar heating in the atmosphere. The difference is that the heat felt by TRAPPIST-1e is 100,000 times stronger than the solar wind felt by Earth because TRAPPIST-1e is moving rapidly around its parent star. , driving powerful currents in the ionosphere to generate extreme heat, thereby heating and damaging its own atmosphere.
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The research team predicted this effect as early as 2017, but now finds that it is more powerful than imagined. The heat generated by the ionospheric current basically evaporates the upper atmosphere of the planet. For millions of years, TRAPPIST-1e may only be caused by this Simply moving at high speed completely loses atmosphere.
Other previous studies have found that TRAPPIST-1b, the planet closest to TRAPPIST-1, also seems to have lost its atmosphere. The new study’s conclusion is even less optimistic. It is considered that the planet’s magnetic field may be connected to the magnetic field of the parent star, directly allowing stellar particles to hit the planet. TRAPPIST-1e It may also be difficult to maintain the atmosphere with TRAPPIST-1f and TRAPPIST-1g.
This study suggests that low-mass red dwarfs may not be the best hope for planets with atmospheres.newpaperPublished in The Astrophysical Journal.
(Source of first picture:pixabay）
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