Synchronized dance of six planets unveiled: A pioneering planetary system discovery
In a groundbreaking discovery, an international team of researchers, including scientists from UCL, has identified a system of six planets exhibiting a rare synchronized gravitational lockstep.
Published in Nature, the findings shed light on the unique rhythmic dance of these planets, believed to have persisted since the system’s formation over a billion years ago, avoiding the disruptions typically seen in early planetary systems.
While multi-planet systems are common, those displaying tight gravitational resonance, as observed in this case, are a rarity.
The closest planet completes three orbits for every two of the next planet out (3/2 resonance), a pattern repeated among the four closest planets.
The outermost planets follow a 4/3 resonance, completing four orbits for every three of the next planet out.
Lead by Dr. Rafael Luque of the University of Chicago, the study used data from NASA’s TESS and the European Space Agency’s Cheops satellites, tracking tiny eclipses as planets crossed their stars.
UCL’s Hannah Osborne, a co-author, highlighted the discovery process involving TESS’s initial identification of two candidates, later confirmed and expanded by Cheops, and the prediction and subsequent discovery of three additional planets.
The resonance chain of the system provides a unique window into its unchanged architecture since formation.
Approximately 1% of systems are believed to remain in such resonance, making HD 110067 a rare example.
Dr. Luque emphasized that the discovery showcases “the pristine configuration of a planetary system that has survived untouched.”
Contributions from UCL researchers, including Hannah Osborne, Dr. Ed Bryant, Dr. Vincent Van Eylen, and PhD student Ahlam Alqasim, focused on ground-based data analysis, determining planet masses and sizes.
HD 110067, the brightest known system with four or more planets, offers an opportunity for in-depth atmospheric composition studies using future telescopes like NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and ESA’s Ariel and Plato telescopes.
Osborne emphasized the advantage of studying these planets due to their orbit around a bright star, allowing the use of both ground-based and space-based telescopes.
The combined observations aim to investigate the composition and internal structure of these small planets.
Source: ucl.ac
