Observations with the James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to Hubble, have revealed signatures of water vapor and carbon dioxide on the exoplanet, which is twice the size of Earth and 70 light-years away. This mixture corresponds to models of planets that are completely covered by ocean and whose atmospheres are high in hydrogen. However, scientists from Cambridge believe that this is not necessarily a friendly environment.
“The ocean can be up to 100 degrees Celsius or more,” says Prof. Nikku Madhusudhan, who led the research group. He explained that water can still be liquid at this temperature if the atmospheric pressure is high enough. “However, it is not clear whether it would be possible to live there,” the scientist added.
Scientists have discovered an exoplanet that may be covered in water. Other researchers have reached different conclusions
An interpretation of the data that the planet is covered in water can be found in a study from the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics Letters. However, it is questioned by Canadian astronomers who conducted additional observations of the planet known as TOI-270 d. Although they detected the same chemical compounds in the atmosphere, in their opinion the surface of the planet is too hot for water to exist there in a liquid state. According to them, the temperature there reaches up to 4,000. degrees Celsius, suggesting a rocky surface and an incredibly thick atmosphere composed of hydrogen and water vapor.
The theory that TOI-270 d is an oceanic planet, according to the first group of scientists, is supported by the lack of ammonia, which should appear in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere, which results from basic chemistry. However, ammonia dissolves in water, which would explain its absence in the air. However, Björn Benneke from the University of Montreal believes that the temperature on the planet is too high, which is confirmed by the huge amounts of water vapor in the atmosphere.
However, conditions on the planet are not similar to those on Earth, because the planet is tidally locked, which means that one side is constantly facing the star, and the other is “covered” in eternal darkness. “The ocean would be extremely hot on the day side. The night side could potentially have habitable conditions,” Madhusudhan said.
Both teams observed carbon disulfide, which is linked to biological processes occurring on Earth. However, no traces of another biosignature molecule (signs that we are dealing with life) – dimethyl sulfide (DMS) – were found. Prof. Madhusudhan notes that the mere presence of carbon disulfide is not enough to talk about the discovery of life outside our planet, because this compound forms relatively easily in an atmosphere rich in hydrogen. Therefore, he recommends caution when communicating about such discoveries; in his opinion, public opinion can too easily judge that life has been found in space.
“The spectra of these small planets from JWST are really exciting because it’s a completely new environment that has no equivalent in the solar system,” Jo Barstow, an astronomer at the Open University who was not involved in either team’s work, told The Guardian. She believes that further observations to determine the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere would help clarify whether TOI-270 d is covered by an ocean.
The James Webb Telescope has provided new opportunities for scientists. It replaced the Hubble telescope
The Guardian notes that regardless of which interpretation turns out to be true, this observation shows the contribution of the James Webb telescope to the study of planets outside our solar system. The telescope captures starlight that is filtered by the atmosphere of celestial bodies, allowing for a detailed analysis of the chemical compounds present there. On this basis, scientists are able to create a picture of the conditions on the planets and calculate the chances of survival of life.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful observation tool ever sent into space. It was launched on December 25, 2021.
Source: Gazeta
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