- An multinational team of scientists from the Exoplanet Research Group of the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, has identified a new Jupiter-size exoplanet with the highest density yet discovered.
- Exoplanets having masses higher than four times that of Jupiter are classified as massive giants.
TOI4603b Exoplanet Information
- The exoplanet is discovered in the vicinity of the star TOI4603 or HD 245134.
- Its mass is 13 times that of Jupiter, and its density is around 14 g/cm3.
- TOI4603 was initially identified as a likely candidate to contain a secondary body of unknown nature by NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
- Scientists identified the secondary body as a planet using PARAS, and it was designated TOI 4603b or HD 245134b.
- The exoplanet is 731 light years away and revolves around the sub-giant F-type star TOI4603 every 7.24 days.
Extreme Density and Proximity
- TOI 4603b is one of the largest and densest gigantic planets ever identified.
- It orbits its host star at a distance of less than one-tenth that of our Sun and Earth.
- Comparisons of the TOI-4603 star-planet system to the Sun-Mercury and Sun-Jupiter systems show TOI-4603 b’s close proximity to its star.
- The exoplanet orbits its star more than 50 times closer than Jupiter orbits the Sun.
- TOI-4603b has 13 times the mass of Jupiter.
Indigenous Technology Application
- The finding of this giant exoplanet was made with the indigenously developed PRL Advanced Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search spectrograph (PARAS) at PRL’s Gurushikhar Observatory in Mt. Abu’s 1.2 m telescope.
- The planet’s mass was carefully measured using PARAS.
The Discovery’s Distinctiveness
- With masses ranging from 11 to 16 times that of Jupiter, the planet falls into the transition mass range of huge giant planets and low-mass brown dwarfs.
- Only five exoplanets in this mass range are currently known.
- Because such findings are uncommon, this discovery is significant.
Formation and Evolution Insights
- The exoplanet’s surface temperature is 1670 K, and it is most likely undergoing high-eccentricity tidal migration with an eccentricity value of about 0.3.
- The discovery of such systems gives important information about the genesis, migration, and evolution mechanisms of giant exoplanets.
India’s Role in Exoplanet Discoveries
- This is India and the PRL scientists’ third exoplanet finding utilising the PARAS spectrograph and the PRL 1.2m telescope.
- K2-236b was discovered in 2018 and TOI-1789b will be discovered in 2021.
Source: https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/indian-scientists-discover-alien-planet-13-times-bigger-than-jupiter-123053100370_1.html#:~:text=The%20recently%20discovered%20exoplanet%20TOI,massive%20exoplanets%2C%22%20Isro%20added.