Free Astronomy Magazine September-October 2024

W Webb cracks case of inflated exoplanet byNASA/ESA/CSA Margaret W. Carruthers Christine Pulliam hy is the warm gas-giant exoplanetWASP-107bso puffy?Twoindependent teams of researchers have an an- swer. Data collected using NASA’s JamesWebbSpaceTelescope,com- bined with prior observations from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, show surprisingly little methane (CH4) in the planet’s atmosphere, indicating that the interior of WASP-107 b must be significantly hotter and the core much more massivethanpreviouslyestimated. Theunexpectedlyhightemperature is thought to be a result of tidal heating caused by the planet’s slightlynon-circularorbit,andcan 52 " و ﺐ" ﻳﺤﻘﻖ إﻧﺠﺎزاً ﺣﻮل ﻮﻛﺐ ﻧ ﻤﻲ ﻣﺘﻀ ﻢ : ﻘﻠﻢ ﻣﺎرﻏﺮﺖ ﺎروﺛﺮزو ﺑﻮﻟ ﺎم ﻛﺮﺴﺘ و ﺎﻟﺔ ﻧﺎﺳﺎ / و ﺎﻟﺔ اﻟﻔﻀﺎء اﻷوروﺑ ﺔ - ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ﺃﻛﺘﻮﺑﺮ 2 0 2 4 ﻟﻤـﺎذا ﻳﺒ ـﺪو اﻟﻜﻮﻛ ـﺐ اﻟﻨﺠﻤ ـﻲ اﻟﻐ ـﺎزي اﻟﻌﻤﻼق اﻟﺪاﻓﺊ WASP-107b) ( ﻣﺘﻀﺨﻤﺎً ؟ ﻓﺮﻳﻘـﺎن ﻣﺴـﺘﻘﻼن ﻣـﻦ اﻟﺒـﺎﺣﺜ ﻟـﺪﻳﻬﻢ اﻹﺟﺎﺑـﺔ . ﺗُﻈﻬ ـﺮ اﻟﺒﻴﺎﻧـﺎت اﻟﺘ ـﻲ ﺟﻤﻌ ـﺖ ﺑﺎﺳﺘﺨﺪام ﺗﻠﺴﻜﻮب وﻳﺐ اﻟﻔﻀﺎﺋﻲ إﺿﺎﻓﺔ ﻟﻸرﺻﺎد اﻟﺴﺎﺑﻘﺔ ﻟ ﺘﻠﺴﻜﻮب ﻫﺎﺑﻞ اﻟﻔﻀﺎﺋﻲ وﺟﻮد ﻛﻤﻴﺔ ﻗﻠﻴﻠـﺔ ﻣـﻦ ا ﻴﺜـﺎن ) CH4 ( ﰲ اﻟﻐﻼف اﻟﺠﻮي ﻟﻠﻜﻮﻛـﺐ ﺑﺸـﻜﻞ ﻛﺒـ ﻣـﺎ ﻳﺸ إﱃ أن اﻟﺠـﺰء اﻟـﺪاﺧﲇ ﻣـﻦ اﻟﻜﻮﻛـﺐ (WASP-107b) ﻳﺠــﺐ أن ﻳﻜــﻮن أﻛﺜــﺮ ﺳﺨﻮﻧﺔ وأن اﻟﻨﻮاة أﻛﱪ ﺑﻜﺜ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺘﻘﺪﻳﺮات اﻟﺴﺎﺑﻘﺔ . ﻳُﻌﺘﻘﺪ أن درﺟﺔ اﻟﺤﺮارة ا ﺮﺗﻔﻌﺔ ﺑﺸﻜﻞ ﻛﺒ ﻧﺘﻴﺠـﺔ ﻟﺘﺴـﺨ ا ـﺪ واﻟﺠـﺰر اﻟﻨﺎﺟﻢ ﻋﻦ ﻣﺪار اﻟﻜﻮﻛﺐ ﻏ اﻟﺪاﺋﺮي ﻗﻠﻴﻼً ﻓﻬـﻞ ﻳﻤﻜـﻦ أن ﻳﻜـﻮن اﻟﻜﻮﻛـﺐ اﻟﻨﺠﻤـﻲ ــــــ