First Habitat-Field, Earth-Sized Exoplanet Found with Planet-Hunter TSS


TOI 700D Earth-sized habitable zone planet

Tui 700, a planetary system 100 light-years away in the constellation Dorado, is home to TOI 700D, the first Earth-sized habitable-planet planet discovered by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

TESS, The Transiting Explanate Survey Satellite, launched in 2018 with the goal of discovering smaller planets around the Sun’s closest neighbors, the stars were bright enough to allow their planetary masses and atmospheric traits to follow. TESS has so far discovered sixteen small planets around eleven nearby stars that are dwarfs – stars that are smaller than the Sun (less than about 60% of the Sun’s mass) and cooler (a surface temperature of about 3900 Kelvin). In a series of three papers that appeared simultaneously this month, astronomers state that one of these planets, TOI-700d, belongs to Earth and is also located in the habitable zone of the star; They also discuss its possible environment.

CFA Astronomers Joseph Rodriguez, Laura Criedberg, Karen Collins, Samuel Quinn, Dave Latham, Ryan Clutier, Jennifer Winters, Jason Eastman and David Charbonneau were among the three teams studying the Twi-700D. Is 0.415 solar masses) located one hundred and two light-years from Earth. In the TESS data analysis, the temporary sizes of the planets were found to be Earth-shaped, 1.04, 2.65 and 1.14 Earth-ready and their orbital periods were 9.98, 16.05 and 37.42 days respectively.

TOI 700D Illustration

This image of the TOI 700D is based on the many simulated atmospheres for the planet’s ocean-covered version. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

In our solar system, Mercury orbits the Sun in about 88 days; It is so close to the sun that its temperature can reach 400 Celsius. But because this M-dwarf star comparatively cools the orbit of its third planet, even though Mercury is much closer to the Sun’s star, it places it in a habitable zone – the zone in which temperature allows surface water (if any). )) Staying fluid even when there is an atmosphere. That makes this Earth-shaped planet TOI-700d especially interesting as a potential host of life.

The TISE investigation was exciting but uncertain: the indications were dizzy and there was a small possibility that the TAI-700D detection was incorrect. Because of the potential importance of finding the nearest Earth-shaped planet in the habitable zone, TSS scientists turned to IRAC cameras at the Spitzer Space Observatory for confirmation. Before being closed by NASA In February 2020, the IRAC camera was the most sensitive near the infrared camera in space.

TOI-700 Schematic

Schematic of the planets around the nearest M dwarf star TOI-700 discovered by TSS. The third (farthest planet from the star), TOI-700d, is located in the habitable zone of the star (shown in green). Using an IRAC camera on Spitzer, the team refined the planetary mass as 2.1 Earth-mass and 1.14 Earth-radii. (Scale 0.2 shows astronomical units; AU is the average Earth-Sun distance.) Credit: Rodriguez et al 2020

The TCEC team observed the TOI-700 with the IRAC in October-October 2019 and January 2020, obtaining a clear inspection of almost twice the TSS signal-to-noise planets, enough to improve the planet’s orbit by 61%. Improving the radius as above and finding the mass to be 2.1 Earth-mass, improve our knowledge of its other characteristics. The results, especially when compared with the properties of other planets, suggest that this planet may be rocky and that one side of the Earth may always face a star.

If there is liquid water on the surface of the TOI-700d, astronomers argue, there will also be water-carrying clouds in the atmosphere, and the team uses the climate system’s model models to find out its potential properties and more sensitive parameters. However, they conclude that the remaining space missions, including JWST, will lack sensitivity to detect atmospheric features by a factor of ten or more. Their detailed climate studies will help astronomers control the types of telescopes and instruments needed to investigate this exciting new neighbor.


NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TCS) has discovered the first Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of its star, a range of distances where conditions allowing the presence of liquid water on the surface may be just right. Using NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists confirmed the discovery, known as the TOI 700D, and modeled the planet’s potential atmosphere to help inform future observations. Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Reference:

“The first habitable-field Earth-sized planet from TSS. I. Emily A. Gilbert, Thomas Barclay, Joshua E. Schlader, Alyssa V. Quintana, Benjamin J. Hord, Vaseline B. Kostov, Eric D. Lopez, Jason F. “Recognition of the I. TOI-700 System” by Rowe, Kelsey. Vicic Wise, Michael L. Silverstein, Joseph E. Rodriguez, Rev. Andrew Vanderberg, Gabriel Suissa, Vladimir S. Erapatian, Matthew S. Clement, Sean N. Raymond, Andrew W. Respect, Ethan Cruz… Benjamin J. Shapp p, McKinnon Le Wood and Jennifer G. Winters, 14 August Gust 2020, Astronomical Journal.
DOI: 10.3847 / 1538-3881 / ABA4B2

“The first habitable-field Earth-sized planet from TSS. II. Joseph E. Rodriguez, Rev. Andrew Vanderberg, Sebastian Ziba, Laura Kreidberg, Caroline V. Morley, Jason D. Eastman, Stephen R. Kane, Alton Spencer, Samuel Ann. Spitzer has been confirmed TOI-700D by Quinn, Ryan Clutier, Chelsea X. . Huang, Karen A. Collins, Rewandrew W. Mann, Emily Gilbert, Joshua E. Schlader, Alyssa V. D. Twicken and Jesus Noel Villacier, 14 August Gust 2020, Astronomical Journal.
DOI: 10.3847 / 1538-3881 / ABA4B3

“The first habitable-field Earth-sized planet from TSS. III. Climate conditions and characteristic probabilities for TOI-700D “Gabriel Suisa, Eric T. Wolf, Ravi Kumar Koparapu, Geronimo L. Villeneuve, Thomas Foches, Avi M. Mendel, Giada Arnie, Emily A. Gilbert, Joshua. Barclay, Alyssa V. Quintana, Eric Lopez, Joseph E. Rodriguez and Andrew Vanderberg, 14 August Gust 2020, Astronomical Journal.
DOI: 10.3847 / 1538-3881 / ABA BB4