astronomers they detected a repeating radio signal from exoplanet and the star around which it revolves. Both are located 12 light years from our planet, while the signal shows that the planet is about the size of Earth – probably has a magnetic field, even an atmosphere.

Scientists have observed strong radio waves emanating from the star YZ Ceti and a rocky exoplanet orbiting it called YZ Ceti b. The researchers believe that the radio signal was created by the interaction between the planet’s magnetic field and the star.

The results are detailed in a study published Monday in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy.

“We saw the initial surge [των ραδιοκυμάτων] and she was very beautiful,” said study lead author Sebastian Pineda. “When we saw it again, it really was a sign that: well, maybe we really have something here.”

According to Pineda, the magnetic fields could prevent the planet’s atmosphere from shrinking and being substantially destroyed over time as particles are ejected from the star and bombard it.

When do strong radio waves appear?

For radio waves to be detectable on Earth, they must be very strong, the researchers said.

“Whether a planet can exist with or without an atmosphere may depend on whether the planet has a strong magnetic field or not,” Pineda explains.

In the past, researchers have detected magnetic fields on a Jupiter-sized exoplanet, which is the largest planet in our solar system. However, detecting magnetic fields on smaller Earth-sized planets is more difficult because the magnetic fields are virtually invisible.

“We are looking for a way to see them,” says Jackie Villansen, one of the authors of the study. “We are looking for planets that are very close to their stars and similar in size to Earth,” she adds.

“These planets are too close to their stars to be habitable, but [ακριβώς] because it is so close, the planet “floats” among the things coming out of the star. If a planet has a magnetic field and passes through enough of this stellar matter, it will cause the star to emit bright radio waves.”

YZ Ceti b takes only two days, Earth time, to make a complete revolution around its star. Meanwhile, the shortest orbit in our solar system is that of the planet Mercury, which takes 88 Earth days to complete one revolution around the sun.

As YZ Ceti b orbits its star, the star’s plasma collides with the planet’s magnetic field, reflects, and interacts with the star’s magnetic field. All of these reactions create and emit powerful radio waves that can be detected on Earth.

Rocky Exoplanet Candidate

The researchers believe that YZ Ceti b is the best candidate for a rocky exoplanet with a magnetic field identified so far.

“In fact, it might be plausible,” Villadsen said. “But I think a lot more work will be done before then. [υπάρξει] really strong confirmation that the radio waves are caused by the planet.”

New radio telescopes to be launched this decade could help astronomers detect more signals indicative of magnetic fields, the researchers say.

“The Search for Potentially Habitable […] worlds in other solar systems depends in part on being able to determine whether rocky Earth-like exoplanets actually have magnetic fields,” said Joe Peske, program director at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.

“This study shows that this rocky exoplanet is likely to have a magnetic field and provides a promising method for obtaining more information.”

^{Source: CNN}

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