A planetary atmosphere is the outer gas layer of a planet. Besides its scientific significance among the first and most accessible planetary layers observed from space, it is closely connected with planetary formation...A planetary atmosphere is the outer gas layer of a planet. Besides its scientific significance among the first and most accessible planetary layers observed from space, it is closely connected with planetary formation and evolution, surface and interior processes, and habitability of planets. Current theories of planetary atmospheres were primarily obtained through the studies of eight large planets, Pluto and three large moons(Io, Titan, and Triton) in the Solar System. Outside the Solar System, more than four thousand extrasolar planets(exoplanets) and two thousand brown dwarfs have been confirmed in our Galaxy, and their population is rapidly growing. The rich information from these exotic bodies offers a database to test, in a statistical sense, the fundamental theories of planetary climates. Here we review the current knowledge on atmospheres of exoplanets and brown dwarfs from recent observations and theories. This review highlights important regimes and statistical trends in an ensemble of atmospheres as an initial step towards fully characterizing diverse substellar atmospheres, that illustrates the underlying principles and critical problems.Insights are obtained through analysis of the dependence of atmospheric characteristics on basic planetary parameters. Dominant processes that influence atmospheric stability, energy transport, temperature, composition and flow pattern are discussed and elaborated with simple scaling laws. We dedicate this review to Dr. Adam P. Showman(1968–2020) in recognition of his fundamental contribution to the understanding of atmospheric dynamics on giant planets, exoplanets and brown dwarfs.展开更多
The nearby bright M-dwarf star L 98–59 has three terrestrial-sized planets.One challenge remaining in characterizing atmospheres around such planets is that it is not known a priori whether they possess any atmospher...The nearby bright M-dwarf star L 98–59 has three terrestrial-sized planets.One challenge remaining in characterizing atmospheres around such planets is that it is not known a priori whether they possess any atmospheres.Here we report on study of the atmospheres of L 98–59 c and L 98–59 d using near-infrared spectral data from the G141 grism of Hubble Space Telescope(HST)/Wide Field Camera 3.We can reject the hypothesis of a clear atmosphere dominated by hydrogen and helium at a confidence level of ~3σ for both planets.Thus they could have a primary hydrogen-dominated atmosphere with an opaque cloud layer,or could have lost their primary hydrogen-dominated atmosphere and re-established a secondary thin atmosphere,or have no atmosphere at all.We cannot distinguish between these scenarios for the two planets using the current HST data.Future observations with the James Webb Space Telescope would be capable of confirming the existence of atmospheres around L 98–59 c and d and determining their compositions.展开更多
Just a few days after the astronomical spectacle of the“seven planets in alignment”on February 28,2025,the weather in many places underwent a dramatic change.In Shanghai,which was still at the beginning of spring(Ma...Just a few days after the astronomical spectacle of the“seven planets in alignment”on February 28,2025,the weather in many places underwent a dramatic change.In Shanghai,which was still at the beginning of spring(March 1),the temperature suddenly soared to 29℃,the temperature of summer,while Shandong was hit by a sudden heavy snowstorm.There are various opinions and no consensus on this inexplicable weather change.For this reason,based on the principle of the role of planets in the luminescence and heat generation of stars,the author of this article reveals the significant impact of the“Seven planets in alignment”on global climate change,and also points out that the melting of polar glaciers and the approach of the moon to the Earth is another important cause of global climate change.Therefore,countermeasures to save the abnormal changes in global climate are proposed.展开更多
The characterization of exoplanets and their birth protoplanetary disks has enormously advanced in the last decade.Benefitting from that,our global understanding of the planet formation processes has been substantiall...The characterization of exoplanets and their birth protoplanetary disks has enormously advanced in the last decade.Benefitting from that,our global understanding of the planet formation processes has been substantially improved.In this review,we first summarize the cutting-edge states of the exoplanet and disk observations.We further present a comprehensive panoptic view of modern core accretion planet formation scenarios,including dust growth and radial drift,planetesimal formation by the streaming instability,core growth by planetesimal accretion and pebble accretion.We discuss the key concepts and physical processes in each growth stage and elaborate on the connections between theoretical studies and observational revelations.Finally,we point out the critical questions and future directions of planet formation studies.展开更多
The formation of the solar system has been studied since the 18th century and received a boost in 1995 with the discovery of the first exoplanet,51 Pegasi b.The investigations increased the number of confirmed planets...The formation of the solar system has been studied since the 18th century and received a boost in 1995 with the discovery of the first exoplanet,51 Pegasi b.The investigations increased the number of confirmed planets to about5400 to date.The possible internal structure and composition of these planets can be inferred from the relationship between planet mass and radius,M-R.We have analyzed the M-R relation of a selected sample of iron-rock and ice-gas planets using a fractal approach to their densities.The application of fractal theory is particularly useful to define the physical meaning of the proportionality constant and the exponent in an empirical M-R power law in exoplanets,but this does not necessarily mean that they have an internal fractal structure.The M-R relations based on this sample are M=(1.46±0.08)R^(2.6±0.2)for the rocky population(3.6≤ρ≤14.3 g cm^(-3)),with 1.5≤M≤39M_(⊕),and M=(0.27±0.04)R^(2.7±0.2)for ice-gas planets(0.3≤ρ≤2.1 g cm^(-3))with 5.1≤M≤639 M_(⊕)(or■2 M_(J))and orbital periods greater than 10 days.Both M-R relations have in their density range a great predictive power for the determination of the mass of exoplanets and even for the largest icy moons of the solar system.The average fractal dimension of these planets is D=2.6±0.1,indicating that these objects likely have a similar degree of heterogeneity in their densities and a nearly similar composition in each sample.The M-R diagram shows a"gap"between ice-gas and iron-rock planets.This gap is a direct consequence of the density range of these two samples.We empirically propose an upper mass limit of about 100 M_(⊕),so that an M-R relation for ice-gas planets in a narrow density range is defined by M∝R^(3).展开更多
The Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey(CHES) mission is proposed to discover habitable-zone Earth-like planets of nearby solar-type stars(~10 pc away from our solar system) via microarcsecond relative astrometry.The m...The Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey(CHES) mission is proposed to discover habitable-zone Earth-like planets of nearby solar-type stars(~10 pc away from our solar system) via microarcsecond relative astrometry.The major scientific objectives of CHES are:to search for Earth Twins or terrestrial planets in habitable zones orbiting100 FGK nearby stars;further to conduct a comprehensive survey and extensively characterize nearby planetary systems.The primary payload is a high-quality,low-distortion,high-stability telescope.The optical subsystem is a coaxial three-mirror anastigmat(TMA) with a 1.2 m-aperture,0°.44 × 0°.44 field of view and 500 nm-900 nm working wave band.The camera focal plane is composed of a mosaic of 81 scientific CMOS detectors each with4 k × 4 k pixels.The heterodyne laser interferometric calibration technology is employed to ensure microarcsecond level(1 μas) relative astrometry precision to meet the requirements for detection of Earth-like planets.The CHES satellite operates at the Sun-Earth L2 point and observes all the target stars for 5 yr.CHES will offer the first direct measurements of true masses and inclinations of Earth Twins and super-Earths orbiting our neighbor stars based on microarcsecond astrometry from space.This will definitely enhance our understanding of the formation of diverse nearby planetary systems and the emergence of other worlds for solar-type stars,and finally provide insights to the evolution of our own solar system.展开更多
The purpose of this paper is to address the question:Using our knowledge of infrared planetary spectroscopy,what can we learn about the atmospheres of exoplanets?In a first part,a simplified classification of exoplane...The purpose of this paper is to address the question:Using our knowledge of infrared planetary spectroscopy,what can we learn about the atmospheres of exoplanets?In a first part,a simplified classification of exoplanets,assuming thermochemical equilibrium,is presented,based on their masses and their equilibrium temperatures,in order to propose some possible estimations about their atmospheric composition.In the second part,infrared spectra of planets are discussed,in order to see what lessons can be drawn for exoplanetary spectroscopy.In the last part,we consider the solar system as it would appear from a star located in the ecliptic plane.It first appears that the solar system(except in a few specific cases)would not be seen as a multiple system,because,contrary to many exoplanetary systems,the planets are too far from the Sun and the inclinations of their orbits with respect to the ecliptic plane are too high.Primary transit synthetic spectra of solar system planets are used to discuss the relative merits of transmission and direct emission spectroscopy for probing exoplanetary atmospheres.展开更多
To better understand Earth's present tectonic style-plate tectonics—and how it may have evolved from single plate(stagnant lid) tectonics, it is instructive to consider how common it is among similar bodies in th...To better understand Earth's present tectonic style-plate tectonics—and how it may have evolved from single plate(stagnant lid) tectonics, it is instructive to consider how common it is among similar bodies in the Solar System. Plate tectonics is a style of convection for an active planetoid where lid fragment(plate) motions reflect sinking of dense lithosphere in subduction zones, causing upwelling of asthenosphere at divergent plate boundaries and accompanied by focused upwellings, or mantle plumes;any other tectonic style is usefully called "stagnant lid" or "fragmented lid". In 2015 humanity completed a 50+ year effort to survey the 30 largest planets, asteroids, satellites, and inner Kuiper Belt objects,which we informally call "planetoids" and use especially images of these bodies to infer their tectonic activity. The four largest planetoids are enveloped in gas and ice(Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune)and are not considered. The other 26 planetoids range in mass over 5 orders of magnitude and in diameter over 2 orders of magnitude, from massive Earth down to tiny Proteus; these bodies also range widely in density, from 1000 to 5500 kg/m^3. A gap separates 8 silicate planetoids with ρ = 3000 kg/m^3 or greater from 20 icy planetoids(including the gaseous and icy giant planets) with ρ = 2200 kg/m^3 or less. We define the "Tectonic Activity Index"(TAI), scoring each body from 0 to 3 based on evidence for recent volcanism, deformation, and resurfacing(inferred from impact crater density). Nine planetoids with TAI = 2 or greater are interpreted to be tectonically and convectively active whereas 17 with TAI <2 are inferred to be tectonically dead. We further infer that active planetoids have lithospheres or icy shells overlying asthenosphere or water/weak ice. TAI of silicate(rocky) planetoids positively correlates with their inferred Rayleigh number. We conclude that some type of stagnant lid tectonics is the dominant mode of heat loss and that plate tectonics is unusual. To make progress understanding Earth's tectonic history and the tectonic style of active exoplanets, we need to better understand the range and controls of active stagnant lid tectonics.展开更多
We briefly review the various proposed scenarios that may lead to nonthermal radio emissions from exoplanetary systems(planetary magnetospheres, magnetosphere-ionosphere and magnetospheresatellite coupling, and star-p...We briefly review the various proposed scenarios that may lead to nonthermal radio emissions from exoplanetary systems(planetary magnetospheres, magnetosphere-ionosphere and magnetospheresatellite coupling, and star-planet interactions), and the physical information that can be drawn from their detection. The latter scenario is especially favorable to the production of radio emission above 70 MHz. We summarize the results of past and recent radio searches, and then discuss FAST characteristics and observation strategy, including synergies. We emphasize the importance of polarization measurements and a high duty-cycle for the very weak targets that radio-exoplanets prove to be.展开更多
The astrometry method has great advantages in searching for exoplanets in the habitable zone around solar-like stars. However, the presence of multiple planets may cause a problem with degeneracy when trying to comput...The astrometry method has great advantages in searching for exoplanets in the habitable zone around solar-like stars. However, the presence of multiple planets may cause a problem with degeneracy when trying to compute accurate planet parameters from observation data and reduce detectability. The degeneracy problem is extremely critical, especially in a space mission which has limited observation time and cadence. In this series of papers, we study the detectability of habitable Earth-mass planets in different types of multi-planet systems, aiming to find the most favorable targets for the potential space mission–Habitable ExoPlanet Survey(HEPS). In the first paper, we present an algorithm to find planets in the habitable zone around solar-like stars using astrometry. We find the detectability can be well described by planets' signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) and a defined parameter S = M2/(T1-T2)2, where M2 and T2are the mass and period of the second planet, respectively. T1 is the period of the planet in the habitable zone. The parameter S represents the influence of planetary architectures. We fit the detectability as a function of both the SNR of the planet in the habitable zone and the parameter S. An Earth-like planet in a habitable zone is harder to detect(with detectability PHP< 80%) in a system with a hot Jupiter or warm Jupiter(within2 AU), in which the parameter S is large. These results can be used in target selections and to determine the priority of target stars for HEPS, especially when we select and rank nearby planet hosts with a single planet.展开更多
We investigate the behavior of the snowline in a protoplanetary disk and the relationship between the radius of the snowline and properties of molecular cloud cores.In our disk model,we consider mass influx from the g...We investigate the behavior of the snowline in a protoplanetary disk and the relationship between the radius of the snowline and properties of molecular cloud cores.In our disk model,we consider mass influx from the gravitational collapse of a molecular cloud core,irradiation from the central star,and thermal radiation from the ambient molecular cloud gas.As the protoplanetary disk evolves,the radius of the snowline increases first to a maximum value Rmax,and then decreases in the late stage of evolution of the protoplanetary disk.The value of Rmaxis dependent on the properties of molecular cloud cores(mass M;,angular velocity ω and temperature T;).Many previous works found that solid material tends to accumulate at the location of the snowline,which suggests that the snowline is the preferred location for giant planet formation.With these conclusions,we compare the values of R;with semimajor axes of giant planets in extrasolar systems,and find that Rmaxmay provide an upper limit for the locations of the formation of giant planets which are formed by the core accretion model.展开更多
The problems of dynamics of celestial bodies are considered which in the literature are explained by instability and randomness of movements. The dynamics of planets orbits on an interval 100 million years was investi...The problems of dynamics of celestial bodies are considered which in the literature are explained by instability and randomness of movements. The dynamics of planets orbits on an interval 100 million years was investigated by new numerical method and its stability is established. The same method is used for computing movements of two asteroids Apophis and 1950DA. The evolution of their movement on an interval of 1000 is investigated. The moments of their closest passages at the Earth are defined. The different ways of transformation of asteroids trajectories into orbits of the Earth’s satellites are considered. The problems of interest are discussed from the different points of view.展开更多
Now we use the Jacobian integral of circular restricted three-body problem to establish a testing function of the stability of satellites. This method of criterion may be applied to the stability problem of satellites...Now we use the Jacobian integral of circular restricted three-body problem to establish a testing function of the stability of satellites. This method of criterion may be applied to the stability problem of satellites when the six elements of the instantaneous orbit of the satellite with respect to its parent planet are known. By means of an electronic computer, we can find the stable region of a satellite with a quasi-circular orbit. The boundary surface of this region is a nearly oblate ellipsoid. The volume of this enclosed space is much smaller than that of binding by Hill surface and that of 'sphere of action'. As the expressions of relative kinetic energy of a satellite with respect to its parent planet have the same form for the direct as well as the retrograde orbits, they can coexist in the same region at the same time.展开更多
We report the results of our search for planet candidates in open clusters and young stellar associations based on the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS) Objects of Interest Catalog.We find one confirmed plan...We report the results of our search for planet candidates in open clusters and young stellar associations based on the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS) Objects of Interest Catalog.We find one confirmed planet,one promising candidate,one brown dwarf and three unverified planet candidates in a sample of 1229 open clusters from the second Gaia data release.We discuss individual planet-star systems based on their basic parameters,membership probability and the observation notes from the ExoFOP-TESS website.We also find ten planet candidates(P> 95%) in young stellar associations by using the BANYAN ∑ Multivariate Bayesian Algorithm.Among the ten candidates,five are known planetary systems.We estimate the rotation periods of the host stars using the TESS light curves and estimate their ages based on gyrochronology.Two candidates with periodic variations are likely to be young planets,but their exact memberships to young stellar associations remain unknown.展开更多
Gravitation is one of the central forces playing an important role in formation of natural systems like galaxies and planets. Gravitational forces between particles of a gaseous cloud transform the cloud into spherica...Gravitation is one of the central forces playing an important role in formation of natural systems like galaxies and planets. Gravitational forces between particles of a gaseous cloud transform the cloud into spherical shells and disks of higher density during gravitational contraction. The density can reach that of a solid body. The theoretical model was tested to model the formation of a spiral galaxy and Saturn. The formations of a spiral galaxy and Saturn and its disk are simulated using a novel N-body self-gravitational model. It is demonstrated that the formation of the spirals of the galaxy and disk of the planet is the result of gravitational contraction of a slowly rotated particle cloud that has a shape of slightly deformed sphere for Saturn and ellipsoid for the spiral galaxy. For Saturn, the sphere was flattened by a coefficient of 0.8 along the axis of rotation. During the gravitational contraction, the major part of the cloud transformed into a planet and a minor part transformed into a disk. The thin structured disk is a result of the electromagnetic interaction in which the magnetic forces acting on charged particles of the cloud originate from the core of the planet.展开更多
The question arises whether organized life (as it exists on the Earth) exists on newly-found planets or not, such as Kepler 186f, in our Galaxy. The Earth’s evolution is defined by three critical factors: 1) Solar lu...The question arises whether organized life (as it exists on the Earth) exists on newly-found planets or not, such as Kepler 186f, in our Galaxy. The Earth’s evolution is defined by three critical factors: 1) Solar luminosity, 2) The distance between the Earth and Sun and 3) The Earth’s mass and chemical compositions. All these variables were favorable for the emergence and development of highly-organized life on our Earth.展开更多
Edward Burne-Jones （1833-1898）, a pre-Raphaelite painter, was fascinated with astronomy, as noted in his memorials and accounts. In 1879, he executed cartoon drawings for a cycle on nine planets for the artisans of ...Edward Burne-Jones （1833-1898）, a pre-Raphaelite painter, was fascinated with astronomy, as noted in his memorials and accounts. In 1879, he executed cartoon drawings for a cycle on nine planets for the artisans of the William Morris Firm, who would transform them into stained-glass panels. The commission was for the decoration of Woodlands, the Victorian mansion of Baron Angus Holden （1833-1912）, a major of Bradford. Presently, seven of the cartoons--The Moon （Luna）, Earth （Terra）, Sol （Apollo）, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Evening Star--are in the Torre Abbey Museum in Torquay, UK, while the cartoon for Mars is part of the collection of drawings at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, UK, and the cartoon for Morning Star is located at Lady Margaret Hall in Oxford, UK. In the creation of the Planets cycle, Burne-Jones was inspired by cultural events of the time such as British scientific astronomical discoveries and British and Italian humanistic sources in literature and visual arts portraying astronomy. This essay art historically and iconographically examines the nine planets as celestial and terrestrial formations and astral spheres of good omen. It is composed of three sections. The first section discusses the history of the artistic commission; the second analyzes the stylistic and iconographical aspects of the Planets cycle; and the third section explains some of Burne-Jones＇s cultural sources for the Planets cycle as manifestations of seasonal transformations, heavenly and terrestrial realms, musical spheres, and visions of a benevolent cosmos.展开更多
To infer the internal equilibrium structure of a gaseous planet, especially the equation of state(EOS) and size of its inner core,requires accurate determination of lower-order zonal gravitational coefficients. Modeli...To infer the internal equilibrium structure of a gaseous planet, especially the equation of state(EOS) and size of its inner core,requires accurate determination of lower-order zonal gravitational coefficients. Modeling of the gravitational signature associated with deep zonal circulation depends critically upon reliable subtraction of the dynamical components from totally derived gravitational coefficients. In the era of the Juno mission and the Grand Finale phase of the Cassini mission, it is timely and necessary to revisit and examine the so-called ‘Thermal Wind Equation(TWE)’, which has been extensively utilized to diagnose the dynamical parts of the gravitational fields measured by the two spacecrafts. TWE treats as negligible a few terms in the full equation of balance. However, the self-gravitational anomaly of the distorted fluid, unlike oblateness effects of solid-body rotation, is not a priori minor and thus should not be neglected in the name of approximation. Another equation, the ‘Thermal Gravitational Wind Equation(TGWE)’, includes this important additional term;we compare it with the TWE and show that physically the TGWE models a fundamentally different balance from the TWE and delivers numerical results considerably different from models based on the TWE. We conclude that the TWE balance cannot be relied upon to produce realistic convection models. Only after the TGWE balance is obtained can the relative importance of terms be assessed.The calculations we report here are based on two types of zonal circulations that are produced by realistically possible convections inside planets, instead of being constructed or assumed.展开更多
A prominent observation of the solar system is that the mass and gas content of Jovian planets decrease outward with orbital radius, except that, in terms of these properties, Neptune is almost the same as Uranus. In ...A prominent observation of the solar system is that the mass and gas content of Jovian planets decrease outward with orbital radius, except that, in terms of these properties, Neptune is almost the same as Uranus. In previous studies, the solar nebula was assumed to preexist and the formation process of the solar nebula was not considered. It was therefore assumed that planet formation at different radii started at the same time in the solar nebula. We show that planet formation at different radii does not start at the same time and is delayed at large radii. We suggest that this delay might be one of the factors that causes the outward decrease in the masses of Jovian planets. The nebula starts to form from its inner part because of the inside-out collapse of its progenitorial molecular cloud core. The nebula then expands outward due to viscosity. Material first reaches a small radius and then reaches a larger radius, so planet formation is delayed at the large radius. The later the material reaches a planet＇s location, the less time it has to gain mass and gas content. Hence, the delay tends to cause the outward decrease in mass and gas content of Jovian planets. Our nebula model shows that the material reaches Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune at t = 0.40, 0.57, 1.50 and 6.29 × 10^6 yr, respectively. We discuss the effects of time delay on the masses of Jovian planets in the framework of the core accretion model of planet formation. Saturn＇s formation is not delayed by much time relative to Jupiter so that they both reach the rapid gas accretion phase and become gas giants. However, the delay in formation of Uranus and Neptune is long and might be one of the factors that cause them not to reach the rapid gas accretion phase before the gas nebula is dispersed. Saturn has less time to go through the rapid gas accretion, so Saturn＇s mass and gas content are significantly less than those of Jupiter.展开更多
文摘A planetary atmosphere is the outer gas layer of a planet. Besides its scientific significance among the first and most accessible planetary layers observed from space, it is closely connected with planetary formation and evolution, surface and interior processes, and habitability of planets. Current theories of planetary atmospheres were primarily obtained through the studies of eight large planets, Pluto and three large moons(Io, Titan, and Triton) in the Solar System. Outside the Solar System, more than four thousand extrasolar planets(exoplanets) and two thousand brown dwarfs have been confirmed in our Galaxy, and their population is rapidly growing. The rich information from these exotic bodies offers a database to test, in a statistical sense, the fundamental theories of planetary climates. Here we review the current knowledge on atmospheres of exoplanets and brown dwarfs from recent observations and theories. This review highlights important regimes and statistical trends in an ensemble of atmospheres as an initial step towards fully characterizing diverse substellar atmospheres, that illustrates the underlying principles and critical problems.Insights are obtained through analysis of the dependence of atmospheric characteristics on basic planetary parameters. Dominant processes that influence atmospheric stability, energy transport, temperature, composition and flow pattern are discussed and elaborated with simple scaling laws. We dedicate this review to Dr. Adam P. Showman(1968–2020) in recognition of his fundamental contribution to the understanding of atmospheric dynamics on giant planets, exoplanets and brown dwarfs.
基金the financial support from the National Key R&D Program of China(2020YFC2201400)National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC,Grant Nos.12073092,12103097,and 12103098)+5 种基金the science research grants from the China Manned Space Project(No.CMS-CSST-2021-B09,B12)Guangzhou Basic and Applied Basic Research Program(202102080371)the Strategic Priority Program on Space Science,the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDA15020601)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2020M672936)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities,Sun Yat-sen University,Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.122RC546the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant Nos.12063001。
文摘The nearby bright M-dwarf star L 98–59 has three terrestrial-sized planets.One challenge remaining in characterizing atmospheres around such planets is that it is not known a priori whether they possess any atmospheres.Here we report on study of the atmospheres of L 98–59 c and L 98–59 d using near-infrared spectral data from the G141 grism of Hubble Space Telescope(HST)/Wide Field Camera 3.We can reject the hypothesis of a clear atmosphere dominated by hydrogen and helium at a confidence level of ~3σ for both planets.Thus they could have a primary hydrogen-dominated atmosphere with an opaque cloud layer,or could have lost their primary hydrogen-dominated atmosphere and re-established a secondary thin atmosphere,or have no atmosphere at all.We cannot distinguish between these scenarios for the two planets using the current HST data.Future observations with the James Webb Space Telescope would be capable of confirming the existence of atmospheres around L 98–59 c and d and determining their compositions.
文摘Just a few days after the astronomical spectacle of the“seven planets in alignment”on February 28,2025,the weather in many places underwent a dramatic change.In Shanghai,which was still at the beginning of spring(March 1),the temperature suddenly soared to 29℃,the temperature of summer,while Shandong was hit by a sudden heavy snowstorm.There are various opinions and no consensus on this inexplicable weather change.For this reason,based on the principle of the role of planets in the luminescence and heat generation of stars,the author of this article reveals the significant impact of the“Seven planets in alignment”on global climate change,and also points out that the melting of polar glaciers and the approach of the moon to the Earth is another important cause of global climate change.Therefore,countermeasures to save the abnormal changes in global climate are proposed.
基金supported by the European Research Council(ERC Consolidator Grant 724687-PLANETESYS)the Swedish Walter Gyllenberg Foundation+3 种基金start-up grant of Bairen program from Zhejiang Universitysupported by the B-type Strategic Priority Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB41000000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.12033010 and 11773081)CAS Interdisciplinary Innovation Team and Foundation of Minor Planets of the Purple Mountain Observatory。
文摘The characterization of exoplanets and their birth protoplanetary disks has enormously advanced in the last decade.Benefitting from that,our global understanding of the planet formation processes has been substantially improved.In this review,we first summarize the cutting-edge states of the exoplanet and disk observations.We further present a comprehensive panoptic view of modern core accretion planet formation scenarios,including dust growth and radial drift,planetesimal formation by the streaming instability,core growth by planetesimal accretion and pebble accretion.We discuss the key concepts and physical processes in each growth stage and elaborate on the connections between theoretical studies and observational revelations.Finally,we point out the critical questions and future directions of planet formation studies.
文摘The formation of the solar system has been studied since the 18th century and received a boost in 1995 with the discovery of the first exoplanet,51 Pegasi b.The investigations increased the number of confirmed planets to about5400 to date.The possible internal structure and composition of these planets can be inferred from the relationship between planet mass and radius,M-R.We have analyzed the M-R relation of a selected sample of iron-rock and ice-gas planets using a fractal approach to their densities.The application of fractal theory is particularly useful to define the physical meaning of the proportionality constant and the exponent in an empirical M-R power law in exoplanets,but this does not necessarily mean that they have an internal fractal structure.The M-R relations based on this sample are M=(1.46±0.08)R^(2.6±0.2)for the rocky population(3.6≤ρ≤14.3 g cm^(-3)),with 1.5≤M≤39M_(⊕),and M=(0.27±0.04)R^(2.7±0.2)for ice-gas planets(0.3≤ρ≤2.1 g cm^(-3))with 5.1≤M≤639 M_(⊕)(or■2 M_(J))and orbital periods greater than 10 days.Both M-R relations have in their density range a great predictive power for the determination of the mass of exoplanets and even for the largest icy moons of the solar system.The average fractal dimension of these planets is D=2.6±0.1,indicating that these objects likely have a similar degree of heterogeneity in their densities and a nearly similar composition in each sample.The M-R diagram shows a"gap"between ice-gas and iron-rock planets.This gap is a direct consequence of the density range of these two samples.We empirically propose an upper mass limit of about 100 M_(⊕),so that an M-R relation for ice-gas planets in a narrow density range is defined by M∝R^(3).
基金financially supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program on Space Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDA 15020800)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 12033010, 41604152 and U1938111)Foundation of Minor Planets of the Purple Mountain Observatory and Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS (Grant No. 2018178)。
文摘The Closeby Habitable Exoplanet Survey(CHES) mission is proposed to discover habitable-zone Earth-like planets of nearby solar-type stars(~10 pc away from our solar system) via microarcsecond relative astrometry.The major scientific objectives of CHES are:to search for Earth Twins or terrestrial planets in habitable zones orbiting100 FGK nearby stars;further to conduct a comprehensive survey and extensively characterize nearby planetary systems.The primary payload is a high-quality,low-distortion,high-stability telescope.The optical subsystem is a coaxial three-mirror anastigmat(TMA) with a 1.2 m-aperture,0°.44 × 0°.44 field of view and 500 nm-900 nm working wave band.The camera focal plane is composed of a mosaic of 81 scientific CMOS detectors each with4 k × 4 k pixels.The heterodyne laser interferometric calibration technology is employed to ensure microarcsecond level(1 μas) relative astrometry precision to meet the requirements for detection of Earth-like planets.The CHES satellite operates at the Sun-Earth L2 point and observes all the target stars for 5 yr.CHES will offer the first direct measurements of true masses and inclinations of Earth Twins and super-Earths orbiting our neighbor stars based on microarcsecond astrometry from space.This will definitely enhance our understanding of the formation of diverse nearby planetary systems and the emergence of other worlds for solar-type stars,and finally provide insights to the evolution of our own solar system.
基金funded by Paris Observatory and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique。
文摘The purpose of this paper is to address the question:Using our knowledge of infrared planetary spectroscopy,what can we learn about the atmospheres of exoplanets?In a first part,a simplified classification of exoplanets,assuming thermochemical equilibrium,is presented,based on their masses and their equilibrium temperatures,in order to propose some possible estimations about their atmospheric composition.In the second part,infrared spectra of planets are discussed,in order to see what lessons can be drawn for exoplanetary spectroscopy.In the last part,we consider the solar system as it would appear from a star located in the ecliptic plane.It first appears that the solar system(except in a few specific cases)would not be seen as a multiple system,because,contrary to many exoplanetary systems,the planets are too far from the Sun and the inclinations of their orbits with respect to the ecliptic plane are too high.Primary transit synthetic spectra of solar system planets are used to discuss the relative merits of transmission and direct emission spectroscopy for probing exoplanetary atmospheres.
基金supported by SNSF grant IZKOZ-2_154380partly supported by SNF 200021_149252
文摘To better understand Earth's present tectonic style-plate tectonics—and how it may have evolved from single plate(stagnant lid) tectonics, it is instructive to consider how common it is among similar bodies in the Solar System. Plate tectonics is a style of convection for an active planetoid where lid fragment(plate) motions reflect sinking of dense lithosphere in subduction zones, causing upwelling of asthenosphere at divergent plate boundaries and accompanied by focused upwellings, or mantle plumes;any other tectonic style is usefully called "stagnant lid" or "fragmented lid". In 2015 humanity completed a 50+ year effort to survey the 30 largest planets, asteroids, satellites, and inner Kuiper Belt objects,which we informally call "planetoids" and use especially images of these bodies to infer their tectonic activity. The four largest planetoids are enveloped in gas and ice(Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune)and are not considered. The other 26 planetoids range in mass over 5 orders of magnitude and in diameter over 2 orders of magnitude, from massive Earth down to tiny Proteus; these bodies also range widely in density, from 1000 to 5500 kg/m^3. A gap separates 8 silicate planetoids with ρ = 3000 kg/m^3 or greater from 20 icy planetoids(including the gaseous and icy giant planets) with ρ = 2200 kg/m^3 or less. We define the "Tectonic Activity Index"(TAI), scoring each body from 0 to 3 based on evidence for recent volcanism, deformation, and resurfacing(inferred from impact crater density). Nine planetoids with TAI = 2 or greater are interpreted to be tectonically and convectively active whereas 17 with TAI <2 are inferred to be tectonically dead. We further infer that active planetoids have lithospheres or icy shells overlying asthenosphere or water/weak ice. TAI of silicate(rocky) planetoids positively correlates with their inferred Rayleigh number. We conclude that some type of stagnant lid tectonics is the dominant mode of heat loss and that plate tectonics is unusual. To make progress understanding Earth's tectonic history and the tectonic style of active exoplanets, we need to better understand the range and controls of active stagnant lid tectonics.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program No. 2017YFA0402600the CAS International Partnership Program No. 14A11KYSB20160008the NSFC grant No. 11725313
文摘We briefly review the various proposed scenarios that may lead to nonthermal radio emissions from exoplanetary systems(planetary magnetospheres, magnetosphere-ionosphere and magnetospheresatellite coupling, and star-planet interactions), and the physical information that can be drawn from their detection. The latter scenario is especially favorable to the production of radio emission above 70 MHz. We summarize the results of past and recent radio searches, and then discuss FAST characteristics and observation strategy, including synergies. We emphasize the importance of polarization measurements and a high duty-cycle for the very weak targets that radio-exoplanets prove to be.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11503009, 11333002 and 11673011)the Heising-Simons Foundation+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Nos. 14380018 and 14380023)the Technology of Space Telescope Detecting Exoplanet and Life supported by the National Defense Science and Engineering Bureau civil spaceflight advanced research project D030201
文摘The astrometry method has great advantages in searching for exoplanets in the habitable zone around solar-like stars. However, the presence of multiple planets may cause a problem with degeneracy when trying to compute accurate planet parameters from observation data and reduce detectability. The degeneracy problem is extremely critical, especially in a space mission which has limited observation time and cadence. In this series of papers, we study the detectability of habitable Earth-mass planets in different types of multi-planet systems, aiming to find the most favorable targets for the potential space mission–Habitable ExoPlanet Survey(HEPS). In the first paper, we present an algorithm to find planets in the habitable zone around solar-like stars using astrometry. We find the detectability can be well described by planets' signal-to-noise ratio(SNR) and a defined parameter S = M2/(T1-T2)2, where M2 and T2are the mass and period of the second planet, respectively. T1 is the period of the planet in the habitable zone. The parameter S represents the influence of planetary architectures. We fit the detectability as a function of both the SNR of the planet in the habitable zone and the parameter S. An Earth-like planet in a habitable zone is harder to detect(with detectability PHP< 80%) in a system with a hot Jupiter or warm Jupiter(within2 AU), in which the parameter S is large. These results can be used in target selections and to determine the priority of target stars for HEPS, especially when we select and rank nearby planet hosts with a single planet.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11504150)
文摘We investigate the behavior of the snowline in a protoplanetary disk and the relationship between the radius of the snowline and properties of molecular cloud cores.In our disk model,we consider mass influx from the gravitational collapse of a molecular cloud core,irradiation from the central star,and thermal radiation from the ambient molecular cloud gas.As the protoplanetary disk evolves,the radius of the snowline increases first to a maximum value Rmax,and then decreases in the late stage of evolution of the protoplanetary disk.The value of Rmaxis dependent on the properties of molecular cloud cores(mass M;,angular velocity ω and temperature T;).Many previous works found that solid material tends to accumulate at the location of the snowline,which suggests that the snowline is the preferred location for giant planet formation.With these conclusions,we compare the values of R;with semimajor axes of giant planets in extrasolar systems,and find that Rmaxmay provide an upper limit for the locations of the formation of giant planets which are formed by the core accretion model.
文摘The problems of dynamics of celestial bodies are considered which in the literature are explained by instability and randomness of movements. The dynamics of planets orbits on an interval 100 million years was investigated by new numerical method and its stability is established. The same method is used for computing movements of two asteroids Apophis and 1950DA. The evolution of their movement on an interval of 1000 is investigated. The moments of their closest passages at the Earth are defined. The different ways of transformation of asteroids trajectories into orbits of the Earth’s satellites are considered. The problems of interest are discussed from the different points of view.
文摘Now we use the Jacobian integral of circular restricted three-body problem to establish a testing function of the stability of satellites. This method of criterion may be applied to the stability problem of satellites when the six elements of the instantaneous orbit of the satellite with respect to its parent planet are known. By means of an electronic computer, we can find the stable region of a satellite with a quasi-circular orbit. The boundary surface of this region is a nearly oblate ellipsoid. The volume of this enclosed space is much smaller than that of binding by Hill surface and that of 'sphere of action'. As the expressions of relative kinetic energy of a satellite with respect to its parent planet have the same form for the direct as well as the retrograde orbits, they can coexist in the same region at the same time.
基金partly supported by the National Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 12133005)。
文摘We report the results of our search for planet candidates in open clusters and young stellar associations based on the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS) Objects of Interest Catalog.We find one confirmed planet,one promising candidate,one brown dwarf and three unverified planet candidates in a sample of 1229 open clusters from the second Gaia data release.We discuss individual planet-star systems based on their basic parameters,membership probability and the observation notes from the ExoFOP-TESS website.We also find ten planet candidates(P> 95%) in young stellar associations by using the BANYAN ∑ Multivariate Bayesian Algorithm.Among the ten candidates,five are known planetary systems.We estimate the rotation periods of the host stars using the TESS light curves and estimate their ages based on gyrochronology.Two candidates with periodic variations are likely to be young planets,but their exact memberships to young stellar associations remain unknown.
文摘Gravitation is one of the central forces playing an important role in formation of natural systems like galaxies and planets. Gravitational forces between particles of a gaseous cloud transform the cloud into spherical shells and disks of higher density during gravitational contraction. The density can reach that of a solid body. The theoretical model was tested to model the formation of a spiral galaxy and Saturn. The formations of a spiral galaxy and Saturn and its disk are simulated using a novel N-body self-gravitational model. It is demonstrated that the formation of the spirals of the galaxy and disk of the planet is the result of gravitational contraction of a slowly rotated particle cloud that has a shape of slightly deformed sphere for Saturn and ellipsoid for the spiral galaxy. For Saturn, the sphere was flattened by a coefficient of 0.8 along the axis of rotation. During the gravitational contraction, the major part of the cloud transformed into a planet and a minor part transformed into a disk. The thin structured disk is a result of the electromagnetic interaction in which the magnetic forces acting on charged particles of the cloud originate from the core of the planet.
文摘The question arises whether organized life (as it exists on the Earth) exists on newly-found planets or not, such as Kepler 186f, in our Galaxy. The Earth’s evolution is defined by three critical factors: 1) Solar luminosity, 2) The distance between the Earth and Sun and 3) The Earth’s mass and chemical compositions. All these variables were favorable for the emergence and development of highly-organized life on our Earth.
文摘Edward Burne-Jones （1833-1898）, a pre-Raphaelite painter, was fascinated with astronomy, as noted in his memorials and accounts. In 1879, he executed cartoon drawings for a cycle on nine planets for the artisans of the William Morris Firm, who would transform them into stained-glass panels. The commission was for the decoration of Woodlands, the Victorian mansion of Baron Angus Holden （1833-1912）, a major of Bradford. Presently, seven of the cartoons--The Moon （Luna）, Earth （Terra）, Sol （Apollo）, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Evening Star--are in the Torre Abbey Museum in Torquay, UK, while the cartoon for Mars is part of the collection of drawings at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, UK, and the cartoon for Morning Star is located at Lady Margaret Hall in Oxford, UK. In the creation of the Planets cycle, Burne-Jones was inspired by cultural events of the time such as British scientific astronomical discoveries and British and Italian humanistic sources in literature and visual arts portraying astronomy. This essay art historically and iconographically examines the nine planets as celestial and terrestrial formations and astral spheres of good omen. It is composed of three sections. The first section discusses the history of the artistic commission; the second analyzes the stylistic and iconographical aspects of the Planets cycle; and the third section explains some of Burne-Jones＇s cultural sources for the Planets cycle as manifestations of seasonal transformations, heavenly and terrestrial realms, musical spheres, and visions of a benevolent cosmos.
基金supported by the Chinese Youth 1000 Talents Program and the Open Project of the State Key Laboratory of Planetary Sciences, Macao University of Science and Technologysupported by the Science and Technology Facilities Council grant ST/R000891/1by the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund grants (007/2016/A1 and 001/2016/AFJ)
文摘To infer the internal equilibrium structure of a gaseous planet, especially the equation of state(EOS) and size of its inner core,requires accurate determination of lower-order zonal gravitational coefficients. Modeling of the gravitational signature associated with deep zonal circulation depends critically upon reliable subtraction of the dynamical components from totally derived gravitational coefficients. In the era of the Juno mission and the Grand Finale phase of the Cassini mission, it is timely and necessary to revisit and examine the so-called ‘Thermal Wind Equation(TWE)’, which has been extensively utilized to diagnose the dynamical parts of the gravitational fields measured by the two spacecrafts. TWE treats as negligible a few terms in the full equation of balance. However, the self-gravitational anomaly of the distorted fluid, unlike oblateness effects of solid-body rotation, is not a priori minor and thus should not be neglected in the name of approximation. Another equation, the ‘Thermal Gravitational Wind Equation(TGWE)’, includes this important additional term;we compare it with the TWE and show that physically the TGWE models a fundamentally different balance from the TWE and delivers numerical results considerably different from models based on the TWE. We conclude that the TWE balance cannot be relied upon to produce realistic convection models. Only after the TGWE balance is obtained can the relative importance of terms be assessed.The calculations we report here are based on two types of zonal circulations that are produced by realistically possible convections inside planets, instead of being constructed or assumed.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC, Grant Nos. 11073009, 10873006, 11373019 and 10573007)by three grants from Jilin University
文摘A prominent observation of the solar system is that the mass and gas content of Jovian planets decrease outward with orbital radius, except that, in terms of these properties, Neptune is almost the same as Uranus. In previous studies, the solar nebula was assumed to preexist and the formation process of the solar nebula was not considered. It was therefore assumed that planet formation at different radii started at the same time in the solar nebula. We show that planet formation at different radii does not start at the same time and is delayed at large radii. We suggest that this delay might be one of the factors that causes the outward decrease in the masses of Jovian planets. The nebula starts to form from its inner part because of the inside-out collapse of its progenitorial molecular cloud core. The nebula then expands outward due to viscosity. Material first reaches a small radius and then reaches a larger radius, so planet formation is delayed at the large radius. The later the material reaches a planet＇s location, the less time it has to gain mass and gas content. Hence, the delay tends to cause the outward decrease in mass and gas content of Jovian planets. Our nebula model shows that the material reaches Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune at t = 0.40, 0.57, 1.50 and 6.29 × 10^6 yr, respectively. We discuss the effects of time delay on the masses of Jovian planets in the framework of the core accretion model of planet formation. Saturn＇s formation is not delayed by much time relative to Jupiter so that they both reach the rapid gas accretion phase and become gas giants. However, the delay in formation of Uranus and Neptune is long and might be one of the factors that cause them not to reach the rapid gas accretion phase before the gas nebula is dispersed. Saturn has less time to go through the rapid gas accretion, so Saturn＇s mass and gas content are significantly less than those of Jupiter.
