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This illustration shows Steam World, which is flying a young star. ; | Credit: Robert Lea (created with Canva)
Scientists have developed a better model to understand the “steam worlds” that are smaller than Neptune and larger than the Earth’s planets that are too hot to have liquid water on their surface, resulting in water vapor. Although the steam worlds are unlikely to cover their lives, more precisely modeling them, scientists could better understand the ocean planets, which in turn would help direct the search for our lives outside the solar system.
Although they are not The solar systemthe most common extrastrasolar planet orExoplanets“There are the so-called sub-notpune planets. The size and mass of these planets indicate that they have an interior rich in water. Many of these planets are closer to their stars than their stars than The earth is for the sunThis means that many Sub-noteptones are too hot to have liquid water to their surfaces. It also means that on these planets, water exists in atmospheric layers and in exotic states that do not work as liquids or gas; They usually have an atmosphere made of steam.
New research team research provides a new, more accurate way to model Steam Worlds. The goal is to determine the compositions and origin of these planets. Therefore, the model explores the water in exotic states, which is very difficult to replicate here on Earth.
“When we understand how most of the planets of the universe are observed, we can focus on rarer exoplants that could actually be residential“Artem Aguichine, a study team leader and researcher at the University of California, Santa Kruze, The report says; “Life can be understood as complexity and water has a variety of qualities that enable this complexity.”
The steam worlds become clearer
Interest in Steam World Exoplanets is definitely heated in 2024. October James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) discovered an exoplanet GJ 9827Twice as much as the size of the Earth and around 100 light years, it was almost completely made of water vapor. This was the first approved Steam World Planet.
Since then JWST has confirmed the presence of steam in the atmosphere of many Sub-Nepune planets; This made it possible to create an atmosphere of these worlds with an essential model in their interior.
Previous models used to investigate subgroups Enceladus and the moon of Jupiter Europe; There are quite a few differences between these icy solar systems and the sub-non-Neptune planets.
The most obvious difference is the size of ten and 100 times more massive than the typical icy moons are submetunts. In addition, these submeters exist much closer to their stars than icy moons Solar System Giant Giants; This means that instead of having icy external crops and underground oceans such as Europe or Encladus, the steam worlds have a thick, steaming atmosphere and even the so -called “supercredible water” layers.
Jupiter Moon Europe’s thick icy crust appeared a poor steam planetary study model. | Credit: NASA
Supercroup water can be created here on earth under laboratory conditions, but since it has both the properties of liquid and gas, its behavior is difficult to model. In addition, the difficulties increase the fact that scientists believe that the pressure in the sub-sub-life can be so extreme that their water can be converted into superion of ice, another exotic state that can be created (and difficulties) in land laboratories.
This means modeling the steam world, researchers need to consider how the water behaves like pure steam, and in extreme states, as supercredited fluid and superion of ice.
New team model factors in those different states.
“The interiors of the planets are the natural” laboratory “in the study of conditions that are difficult to restore in the Land University Laboratory. What we have learned may not have programs that we have not even considered,” said Natalie Batalha, research team member and astrobiologist UC Santa Cruze. “The Water worlds are especially exotic in this sense.
“In the future, we can see that a subgroup of these water worlds reflects new niches for life in the galaxy.”
Related stories:
-Nasa Space Telescope finds Earth -sized exoplanet, which is not a “bad place” to hunt life
– Extreme Hot Jupiter’s exoplanets stink like rotten eggs and have raging glass storms
—Nearby Exoplanet is the 1st Steam World of its kind. James Webb Space Telescope found
The properties of the planets can change over time, so these changes must be taken into account to understand them. Thus, the new model of scientists not only focuses on Sub-Nepune planets as an instant view of how they may seem when instruments like JWST notice them, but also consider how these worlds have evolved over billions of years.
This modeling could be monitored during the test after the transit and oscillation of the planetary planetary planetary planets (oscillations (oscillations (oscillationsPlato) Star telescope. The main purpose of this mission to start in 2026 is to find rough planets of Earth -sized living areas Of their stars, the region where liquid water can exist on the surface of the planet, without disabling or freezing.
“Plato will be able to tell you how accurate our models are and what direction we need to improve them,” Aguichine concluded. “So, our models are currently preparing these telescope forecasts, along with helping to develop other search for life for the search for life.”
Team study was published on July 24 Astrophysical magazine;