The chance of finding Earth-like planets in their early stages of formation is far greater than previously thought, according to a comparative study with theories of young star clusters in the Milky Way, and with previous observations in other planet-forming regions ans stars in space.
The research, from the University of Sheffield and published in The Astrophysical Journal, found that there are more stars like the Sun than expected in these groups, which would increase the chances of finding Earth-like planets in their early stages of formation.
In their early stages of formation, these Earth-like planets, called magma ocean planets, are still forming from collisions with rocks and smaller planets, causing them to heat up so much that their surfaces turn to rock. molten.
The team, led by Dr. Richard Parker, included university students from the University of Sheffield, giving them the opportunity to apply the skills learned in their course to leading published research in their field.
These ocean magma planets are easier to spot near stars like the Sun, which are twice as heavy as the average-mass star. They emit so much heat that we can see their brightness using the next generation of infrared telescopes,” Dr. Parker explained.
“The places where we would find these planets are the so-called ‘young moving groups’, which are groups of young stars that are less than 100 million years old, which is young for a star. However, they typically only contain a few dozen of each of the stars and it was previously difficult to determine whether we had found all the stars in each group because they mix with the background of the Milky Way galaxy,” he continued.
“The Gaia telescope observations have helped us find many more stars in these groups, allowing us to carry out this study,” he said.
The research results will help better understand whether star formation is universal and will be an important resource for studying how rocky, habitable planets like Earth form. The team now hopes to use computer simulations to explain the origin of these young clusters of moving stars.
“Being involved in this project was one of the things that stood out from our university experience. It was a great opportunity to work in the area of astronomy outside of the typical course structure,” Molly Haigh said, one of the students.
“It is somewhat gratifying to see the physical application of the computer code that we learned in our career by sampling the initial mass distribution of stars and how it might relate to future detection of exoplanets.”
The Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sheffield explores the fundamental laws of the universe and develops pioneering technologies with real-world applications. Researchers are looking beyond our planet to map distant galaxies, addressing global challenges, including energy security, and exploring the opportunities presented by quantum computing and 2D materials.
Source: Phys.org
