We study the dynamical evolution of the TRAPPIST-1 system under the influence of orbital circularization through tidal interaction with the central star. We find that systems with parameters close to […]
TRAPPIST-1
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
Planet-Planet Occultations in TRAPPIST-1 and Other Exoplanet Systems
We explore the occurrence and detectability of planet-planet occultations (PPOs) in exoplanet systems. These are events during which a planet occults the disk of another planet in the same system, […]
Posted inPress Release, TRAPPIST-1
The Stellar Activity of TRAPPIST-1 and Consequences for the Planetary Atmospheres
The signatures of planets hosted by M dwarfs are more readily detected with transit photometry and radial velocity methods than those of planets around larger stars. Recently, transit photometry was […]
Posted inPress Release, TRAPPIST-1
Temporal Evolution of the High-energy Irradiation and Water Content of TRAPPIST-1 Exoplanets
The ultracool dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 hosts seven Earth-size transiting planets, some of which could harbour liquid water on their surfaces. UV observations are essential to measure their high-energy irradiation, and […]
Posted inPress Release, TRAPPIST-1
First Hints of Possible Water Content of TRAPPIST-1 Planets
An international team of astronomers used the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope to estimate whether there might be water on the seven earth-sized planets orbiting the nearby dwarf star TRAPPIST-1. The […]
Posted inExoplanets, -moons, -comets, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
TRAPPIST-1 is Older Than Our Solar System
If we want to know more about whether life could survive on a planet outside our solar system, it’s important to know the age of its star. Young stars have […]
Posted inPress Release, TRAPPIST-1
The Threatening Environment of the TRAPPIST-1 Planets
Recently, four additional Earth-mass planets were discovered orbiting the nearby ultracool M8 dwarf TRAPPIST-1, making a remarkable total of seven planets with equilibrium temperatures compatible with the presence of liquid […]
Posted inPress Release, TRAPPIST-1
Composition of Earth-size Planets in TRAPPIST-1 System Identified
A University of Oklahoma post-doctoral astrophysics researcher, Billy Quarles, has identified the possible compositions of the seven planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system. Using thousands of numerical simulations to identify the […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
Mini-Flares Potentially Jeopardize Habitability of Planets Circling Red Dwarf Stars
Cool dwarf stars are hot targets for exoplanet hunting right now. The discoveries of planets in the habitable zones of the TRAPPIST-1 and LHS 1140 systems, for example, suggest that […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Press Release, TRAPPIST-1
Spin States of Habitable Zone Exoplanets Around M Dwarfs: The Effect of a Near-Resonant Companion
One longstanding problem for the potential habitability of planets within M dwarf systems is their likelihood to be tidally locked in a synchronously rotating spin state. This problem thus far […]