Located within a region around a star known as the Neptunian desert, recently discovered exoplanet TOI-332b defies conventional knowledge about planetary formation.
TOI-332b orbits perilously close to its parent star, completing an astonishingly swift revolution in just 18.72 hours. However, what has truly left scientists astounded is the vanishing act of its atmosphere.
TOI-332b: A Cosmic Riddle
TOI-332b, nestled 727 light-years away from Earth, possesses dimensions that set it apart in the galactic menagerie of exoplanets. With a radius 3.2 times that of Earth, it falls into the category of Neptune-sized worlds.
However, its mass is a staggering 57.2 times that of our home planet, resulting in a density surpassing even that of iron. Imagine a planet denser than the heaviest metal on Earth!
Atmosphere Gone Missing
ScienceAlert notes that what has truly confounded scientists is the conspicuous absence of a substantial hydrogen-helium atmosphere, a feature common to planets of TOI-332b's size.
This planet seems to have skipped a critical step in planetary formation - accumulating a gaseous envelope. The question now looms: why did TOI-332b's atmosphere vanish?
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Solving the Mystery
A study proposed several theories to unravel this cosmic enigma. One possibility is photoevaporation, where intense radiation from the parent star causes the atmosphere to evaporate.
While this process undoubtedly plays a role, it alone cannot account for the entire disappearance of TOI-332b's atmosphere. Other factors, such as planetary migration, gravitational changes in its orbit, or even a cataclysmic collision with another celestial body, could be at play.
The leading hypothesis is that TOI-332b might have undergone a turbulent past involving dramatic events such as high-speed migrations, violent collisions, or gaps forming in the dusty disk where it was born.
These extraordinary circumstances could have led to the planet's unusual composition and the loss of its expected atmosphere.
A Cosmic Mystery Unveiled
The discovery of TOI-332b provides a remarkable opportunity for astronomers to challenge existing theories of planetary formation.
Dr. Ares Osborn, an astrophysicist from the University of Warwick in the UK who led the research, commented, "This unusual planet tests what we currently understand about planet formation; how such a giant core exists without a gaseous envelope remains an unanswered question."
The Bigger Cosmic Picture
With over 5,500 confirmed exoplanets, scientists are uncovering intriguing patterns and anomalies. The scarcity of Neptune-sized exoplanets orbiting closely to their stars, known as the Neptunian desert, has long perplexed astronomers.
TOI-332b's position deep within this enigmatic zone may be key to understanding why such worlds are rare.
This intriguing discovery, accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, underscores the boundless mysteries of our universe.
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