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Groundbreaking Research and Technology
UNM Physics and Astronomy Assistant Professor Diana Dragomir was part of the recent study, though she was already well-acquainted with the exoplanet after contributing to the discovery of its transits in her doctoral thesis. Exoplanet 55 Cancri e’s density and heat have long led to complex questions for her and others who study exoplanets.
“Ever since its discovery, this planet has defied multiple attempts at understanding its properties and composition. This discovery is the clearest piece of information we have obtained so far for 55 Cancri e,” Dragomir said.
The discovery would not be possible without the James Webb Space Telescope, which allows researchers to study exoplanets with greater precision than ever before. The team used images from the Webb telescope to analyze light emitted by the exoplanet and its star. To do that, they first had to translate the images into light spectra. They then compared the observations to spectra created from different combinations of elements and molecules to hypothesize what potential atmospheric compositions the exoplanet might have. This study is among the first to use data from the Webb telescope for this kind of investigation and the models used in the study could provide future researchers with a process to complete similar work for other exoplanets.
Collaborative Efforts and Future Prospects
The research team hypothesizes that the exoplanet’s atmosphere could be composed of vaporized rock rich in carbon, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide. While further research is needed to confirm the results, the exoplanet’s light emissions and models of carbon-rich atmospheres seem to align closely. While researchers know 55 Cancri e’s extremely harsh conditions make it uninhabitable, the discovery of its atmosphere confirms that the newest telescopes available to scientists may finally be sensitive enough to study distant rocky planets in detail. Michael Bess, who graduated last Spring with a degree in Astrophysics worked with Dragomir on UNM’s portion of the project translating the images into spectra and running models to help narrow down potential atmosphere compositions.
“Studying the atmospheres of exoplanets can tell us a lot about planets in different stages of formation,” Bess said. “Eventually, we may be able to look at similar planets for habitability because a planet with an atmosphere similar to ours could possibly have life.”
When Bess approached Dragomir about getting involved with her research, he never expected to work on such a large-scale project.
“It was really exciting,” Bess said about working on such a significant project as an undergraduate. “I thought it was so fascinating and new and interesting to be able to work with this brand new amazing telescope and amazing people from NASA. It was a lot of fun and a lot of work and I enjoyed every second of it.”
Confirmations and Implications
Several teams, including Bess and Dragomir, each analyzed the data individually and then met to compare results. It was found that the results obtained by all the teams agreed, which supported that the interpretation of the data was correct. It was an exciting moment not only for the entire research team but especially for Bess whose skill level working on the project became on par with that of researchers who had already completed Ph.Ds.
“You’ve got an undergrad student who analyzed the data sets at a level comparable to what his much more senior collaborators did, and he was also able to communicate and coordinate with the entire team independently,” Dragomir said. “I’m really proud of Michael for that.”
Bess will begin his Ph.D. in Astrophysics this Fall at the DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07432-x