NASA’s Tess Mission found Six planet system perfectly tuned

 

NASA’s Tess Mission found Six planet system perfectly tuned

 

Tracing a link between two neighbour planet at regular time interval along their orbits, creates a pattern unique to each couple. The six planets of the HD110067 system create together a mesmerising geometric pattern due to their resonance-chain.Credit: Thibaut Roger/NCCR PlanetS, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

The planetary trove within the HD 110067 system presents a unique opportunity to explore the enigmatic class of "mini-Neptunes," absent in our Solar System. These planets, orbiting an orange star 100 light-years away, were initially discovered by NASA's TESS mission. Two inner planets, b and c, exhibited a resonant orbital relationship with periods in a 2:3 ratio.

Upon detecting unattributed transits and considering the resonant orbits of b and c, researchers speculated the presence of a third planet, d, in a 2:3 orbital resonance with planet c. Utilizing this hypothesis, they successfully predicted and confirmed the existence of planet d using the European Space Agency's CHEOPS telescope.

From the orbital period of planet d, a fourth planet, e, was predicted and subsequently observed with a 2:3 resonance to planet d. Laplace angles, inspired by the work of mathematician Pierre-Simon Laplace, played a crucial role in explaining perturbations and maintaining stable orbit configurations. This analysis revealed planets f and g, completing the system with a 3:4 orbital resonance.

The potential for additional planets within the habitable zone of HD 110067 remains, but TESS and CHEOPS have yet to record corresponding transits. A "blind search" for more planets poses challenges due to limited observing resources.

Future work involves refining the known planets' parameters, dependent on measuring their masses. Current data, obtained for planets b, d, and f, indicate sizes ranging from 1.9 to 2.85 Earth radii. Obtaining masses for the remaining planets is challenging, particularly due to stellar activity masking radial velocity signals.

Despite uncertainties, the resonant orbits of these planets challenge conventional theories, suggesting they formed and persisted in stable configurations. HD 110067 offers a glimpse into a potentially ancient planetary system, preserving its initial formation configuration over time. The study's details can be found in the journal Nature.

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