Artist’s depiction of two circumbinary planets orbiting a binary star system
A team of astronomers tested a new method for discovering planets. In the process, it found 27 potential new worlds in double star systems.
Little is known about the circumbinary planets. To date, only the existence of 18compared to more than 6000 planets in simple star systems.
In a new one, published this Monday in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societyresearchers presented the 27 possible circumbinary planets.
These results come in time for May 4th, known as Slide the Star Wars.
According to , the secret weapon for these investigations is a technique called apsidal precession. Typically used only to confirm binary stars, researchers using this method observe twin stellar bodies orbiting and eclipsing each other along prolonged periods of time.
The team theorized a way to expand the original use of apsidal precession. Although these stellar eclipses typically occur at predictable intervals, there are cases that show slight variations.
“If these differences cannot be explained by general relativity or by other standard interactionsso they could indicate the presence of a planet”, say the researchers.
This strategy differs from transit methodin which astronomers identify exoplanets by the eclipse they cause when they pass in front of a star. Despite being a common approach, this method has several limitations.
Planets are only detectable if they pass between Earth and their own star, meaning irregular orbits or orbits outside direct line of sight are easily missed.
“This new method could help us discover hidden planetsespecially those that don’t align perfectly with our line of sight. It could also help reveal what the true population of planets in our universe could be like,” says the study’s first author, Margo Thornton.
Scientists are surprised by the number of possible candidates for double star systems located through apsidal precession.
These potential circumbinary bodies range in size from approximately the mass of Neptune to 10 times the mass of Jupiter. The closest is about 650 light years from Earthwhile the most distant is 18,000 light years away.
“The candidates are spread across both our southern and northern skies. This means that at any time of year, regardless of when you are looking, at least one of these star systems is out there, visible for you to observe,” concludes study co-author, Benjamin Montet.
