Three-dimensional atmosphere structure of exoplanet revealed for the first time
By combining several telescope dishes, the three-dimensional structure of an exoplanet's atmosphere could be mapped for the first time.
Schematic representation of the structure of the atmosphere of WASP-121b
(Image: ESO/M. Kornmesser)
A research group has succeeded for the first time in investigating the three-dimensional structure of an exoplanet's atmosphere. This has now been announced by the European Southern Observatory (ESO), whose instruments made the work possible. The team discovered that the atmosphere of WASP-121b (“Tylos”) behaves differently than on any planet we have been able to study so far: “It feels like something out of a science fiction movie,” says lead author Julia Victoria Seidel from the ESO. Her team found a jet stream of hydrogen above a separate flow of sodium, which transports gas from the hot to the cooler side of the exoplanet. The deepest layer is formed by a wind of iron.
Nothing comparable in the solar system
As the ESO explains, the analysis was successful thanks to a combination of the four large units of the Very Large Telescope using an instrument called Espresso. By quadrupling the amount of light, it was possible to make fainter details visible. As the exoplanet passed in front of its star, it was therefore possible to look deeper into its atmosphere and reveal its structure. The team found extremely fast gas flows that cause immense turbulence: “Even the strongest hurricanes in the solar system seem calm in comparison,” says Seidel.
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The exoplanet WASP-121b, which has since been christened “Tylos”, is no stranger to research. Its exotic water cycle and clouds of metal had already been researched three years ago. It is an ultra-hot Jupiter that orbits its star so closely that it is gravitationally bound and always turns the same side towards it. Clouds of iron, magnesium, chromium, and vanadium have been detected there, but titanium was previously undetectable. However, this has now been discovered directly beneath the jet stream. The research work on the vertical structure of the atmosphere of WASP-121b has now been published in the scientific journal Nature.
(mho)
