Astronomers Detect Repeating Radio Signal From An Earth-Size Exoplanet

 Astronomers Detect Repeating Radio Signal From An Earth-Size Exoplanet

            Astronomers have detected an Earth-like exoplanet and the star that it orbits about 12 light years away from Earth. Researchers have suggested that the Earth-size planet may have a magnetic field and even an atmosphere, reported CNN.

In addition to pointing compass needles in the north direction, Earth's magnetic field helps preserve its atmosphere by deflecting high energy particles and plasma regularly blasted out of the sun, thereby, helping sustain life on the planet.

Therefore, the possible existence of a magnetic field on an exoplanet, called YZ Ceti b, could potentially signal the habitability of life on that planet, the researchers said.

Astronomers Sebastian Pineda and Jackie Villadsen from the University of Colorado (US) and Bucknell University (US), respectively, observed a repeating radio signal emanating from the star YZ Ceti, using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, a radio telescope operated by the US National Science Foundation's National Radio Astronomy Observatory, PTI reported. 

Their findings are published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

"Whether a planet survives with an atmosphere or not can depend on whether the planet has a strong magnetic field or not," explained Pineda.

Villadsen first isolated the radio signal while pouring over data at her home on a weekend.

"We saw the initial burst and it looked beautiful," said Pineda. "When we saw it again, it was very indicative that, OK, maybe we really have something here." The astronomers theorised that the interactions between the magnetic field of the planet and the star it orbits were giving rise to the stellar radio waves that they detected. However, they said, that for such waves to be detected over long distances, they would have to be very strong.

They further said that they were looking for a method to see these invisible magnetic fields of such distant, tiny Earth-sized planets. Previously, magnetic fields have been detected on massive Jupiter-sized exoplanets.

"If the planet has a magnetic field and it plows through enough star stuff, it will cause the star to emit bright radio waves," they concluded.

The small red dwarf star YZ Ceti and its known exoplanet, YZ Ceti b, provided an ideal pair, said the scientists, because the exoplanet, being very close to the star, orbits it in just two days. The smallest orbit in our solar system, that of Mercury, is 88 days long.

As plasma from YZ Ceti careens off the planet's magnetic "plow," it then interacts with the magnetic field of the star itself, which generates radio waves strong enough to be observed on Earth.

The strength of the planet's magnetic field can then be measured by measuring that of the radio waves thus emitted.

Biography of Stephen Hawking

 

Stephen Hawking

Stephen Hawking was a world-renowned theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author. He was born on January 8, 1942, in Oxford, England, and passed away on March 14, 2018, in Cambridge, England.

Hawking is most famous for his work on black holes, where he showed that they emit radiation, now known as Hawking radiation. He also made significant contributions to the study of the universe's origin and the nature of space and time. His book, "A Brief History of Time," became an international bestseller and helped to popularize complex scientific concepts.

Hawking was diagnosed with a rare form of motor neuron disease at the age of 21, which gradually paralyzed him and forced him to communicate through a speech-generating device. Despite his physical limitations, he continued to work and inspire others with his research and activism for various causes, including raising awareness about the dangers of nuclear war and the need for action on climate change.

Hawking received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Albert Einstein Medal, and the Copley Medal, the highest award of the Royal Society of London. He will always be remembered as one of the greatest minds of our time, who pushed the boundaries of our understanding of the universe and inspired generations of scientists and enthusiasts alike.