Exoplanet map reveals Neptune’s ridge that separates planetary regions
Sophie Jenkins
London, UK (SPX) September 26, 2024
Scientists from the University of Warwick have published a detailed “map” of the distant planet, highlighting a newly identified region in deep space called the Neptune Ridge, which separates two distinct regions known as the Neptune Desert and the Neptune Savannah.
The team, which included researchers from the University of Warwick and other institutions, looked at exo-Neptunian planets, which have similar characteristics to Neptune but exist outside our solar system. They found that desert planets are unusual because their atmospheres have been stripped away by intense radiation, leaving only a rocky core. In contrast, savannas are far from radiation, which means planets in this region can retain their atmospheres for millions of years.
Between these two regions, researchers have identified Neptune’s mid-ocean ridges, where planets are concentrated, and current evidence suggests that many of the planets within the ridges may have migrated to their current positions through a process called highly eccentric tidal migration, which allows planets to move closer to their stars throughout their lives.
In contrast, savannah planets are more likely to have migrated by disk-driven migration that occurs soon after planet formation. These differences in migration mechanisms may explain the distribution of savannah and desert planets, with the low abundance of desert planets being rare and extreme.
David Armstrong, Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Warwick, explained: “Our work observing this new structure in space has huge implications for mapping the topography of exoplanets. As scientists, we are always trying to understand why planets are the way they are and how they got to where they are. The discovery of Neptune’s ridges helps us answer these questions and reveals some of the topography of the exoplanets out there, which is a really exciting discovery.”
Research Report: Mapping Extra-Neptune Terrain
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