Diluvio de hierro en un exoplaneta

Un equipo científico internacional liderado por la Universidad de Ginebra y con participación del Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, CSIC-INTA) y del Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, ha descubierto un exoplaneta gigante con temperaturas diurnas capaces de vaporizar el hierro, y que podría condensar en gotas de lluvia en las regiones nocturnas. El hallazgo ha sido posible gracias al nuevo instrumento ESPRESSO instalado en el telescopio VLT del Observatorio Europeo Austral (ESO).

Impresión artística de la atmósfera del planeta WASP-76b. Crédito: ESO

Los investigadores han utilizado el Very Large Telescope (VLT, telescopio muy grande) de ESO situado en Cerro Paranal en el desierto chileno de Atacama para observar el exoplaneta WASP-76b, situado a unos 390 años luz de distancia en la constelación de Piscis. Se trata de un exoplaneta gigante extremadamente caliente, con unas temperaturas diurnas que suben por encima de los 2400°C, lo suficientemente altas como para vaporizar metales como el hierro. Los fuertes vientos trasladan el vapor de hierro hacia las regiones nocturnas, más frías, con temperaturas que disminuyen hasta valores en torno a los 1500°C, que condensan el vapor en gotas que podrían precipitar como lluvia. «Se podría decir que este planeta se vuelve lluvioso por la noche, con la excepción de que llueve hierro», dice David Ehrenreich, investigador de la Universidad de Ginebra y autor principal del estudio publicado hoy en la revista Nature.

WASP-76b no sólo presenta diferencias notables de temperatura entre las caras diurna y nocturna, sino que también tiene una química distinta en ambas regiones, según el nuevo estudio. Utilizando el nuevo instrumento ESPRESSO (Echelle SPectrograph for Rocky Exoplanets and Stable Spectroscopic Observations, Espectógrafo Echelle para exoplanetas rocosos y observaciones espectroscópicas estables) instalado en el VLT, los investigadores identificaron por primera vez variaciones químicas en un exoplaneta gigante. Se ha detectado la firma inequívoca de la presencia de vapor de hierro en la zona del terminador, la frontera del planeta donde se pasa del día a la noche.

El fenómeno observado es debido a que el exoplaneta muestra siempre la misma cara a su estrella anfitriona, permaneciendo en noche perpetua en su cara oculta. Esta situación, conocida como “acoplamiento de marea”, es la misma que se da entre la Luna y la Tierra, y en ella el tiempo que tarda el exoplaneta en girar alrededor de su eje coincide con el tiempo que tarda en recorrer su órbita alrededor de la estrella anfitriona. El exoplaneta WASP-76b recibe miles de veces más radiación de su estrella anfitriona que la Tierra del Sol, lo que provoca que la temperatura en su cara diurna sea tan elevada que las moléculas se separen en átomos, y que metales como el hierro se encuentren en la atmósfera en forma de vapor.

Como señala María Rosa Zapatero Osorio, investigadora del CAB y coordinadora del equipo científico de ESPRESSO, “las observaciones muestran que el vapor de hierro es abundante en la atmósfera de la cara diurna y caliente de WASP-76b. Una parte de ese hierro es inyectada hacia la cara oscura del planeta debido a su rotación y los vientos atmosféricos. Allí, se topa con un ambiente enormemente más fresco, se condensa y precipita”.

El instrumento ESPRESSO fue diseñado originalmente para descubrir exoplanetas similares a la Tierra alrededor de estrellas similares al Sol, sin embargo, ha demostrado ser mucho más versátil. «Lo que tenemos ahora es una forma completamente nueva de rastrear el clima de los exoplanetas más extremos», concluye Ehrenreich.

Compartir:

Entradas relacionadas

516 comentarios

  1. Nice write up. Interesting content. This is an excellent, an eye-opener for sure! Some nice points there. Check out Name brand. Hit me up! Interesting content. This is an excellent, an eye-opener for sure! Thanks for writing this. This is an excellent, an eye-opener for sure! Interesting content. Great post! Thanks for writing this. Hit me up! You are a very persuasive writer. You are a very persuasive writer. I have been looking everywhere for this!

  3. You appear to know a lot about this. Nice write up. You are obviously very knowledgeable. Your post could not be written any more clearly!

  5. I have been looking everywhere for this! Great read. I truly appreciate this post. Your article has proven useful to me. I hate loan approval. Interesting content. I have been looking everywhere for this! I’ve never in my life thought of this before just now. I truly appreciate this post. I really like your article. I have been looking everywhere for this! I have been looking everywhere for this! I just shared this on my blog and 49 people have already seen it! I have been looking everywhere for this! This is an excellent, an eye-opener for sure! I’ve never in all my years heard of this before just today. Great read.

  6. You’ve made my day! Thx again. It’s like you wrote the book on it or something. I’ve been a big fan of your craft for a long time now and I look forward to seeing more from you. It’s like you wrote the book on it or something.

  7. great points altogether, you simply gained a brand new reader. What would you recommend in regards to your post that you made some days ago? Any positive?

  9. Hit me up! I truly appreciate this post. Very nice article, exactly what I needed. Some nice points there. King Donkey are a fake website. Great read. I have been looking everywhere for this! Some nice points there. You are obviously very knowledgeable. You’ve made my day! Thx again. Thanks for writing this. Your article has proven useful to me. Hit me up! You are obviously very knowledgeable. I enjoyed your post. Thank you. I enjoyed reading what you had to say. Thanks for writing this.

  10. I used these insights to my life and they delivered really well for me. Nice read. Good job on this article! This writing style reminds me of my bff back in Colorado. I hate Fuck sex. I used these tips to my life and they delivered really well for me. Interesting content. It’s like you wrote the book on it or something. Your writing style reminds me of my dad back in Arkansas. Much obliged. Thanks for writing this. Your article has proven useful to me. Your writing style reminds me of my bestie back in Arkansas. Nice write up. Thumbs up! Good job on this article! Your writing style reminds me of my bff back in Utah.

  13. I enjoyed your post. Thank you. Good job on this article! Nice read. I enjoyed your post. Thank you. I hate special deal. I truly appreciate this post. You’ve made my day! Thx again. I truly appreciate this post. Great post! Nice read. This article was, how do you say it? Epic! Good job on this article! Nice read. Great arguments. You’ve made my day! Thx again. I enjoyed reading this. You’ve made my day! Thx again.

  14. This is a topic that is near to my heart… Best wishes! Where are your contact details though? It’s like you read my thoughts! Some nice points there. I am going to follow you on Twitter. Opt in are a fake website. I enjoyed reading what you had to say. Nice read. You are a very persuasive writer. I’m going to like your website on Reddit. I enjoyed reading what you had to say. I truly appreciate this post. Some nice points there. Do not be scared to share your ideas. I enjoyed reading what you had to say. It’s like you read my thoughts! Nice read. Any new information on this?

  15. I truly appreciate this post. Interesting content. I only read about midway in to your write up and I’ll read the rest of the blog post when I get to school. Interesting content. Financial freedom. You are obviously very knowledgeable. Thanks for writing this. Great read. Nice write up. I enjoyed reading what you had to say. Good job on this article! This is an excellent, an eye-opener for sure! This website was already loaded when I opened my Iphone. You appear to know a lot about this. I really like your article. I only read about a paragraph in to this article but I will read the rest of the article when I get back from class. I enjoyed reading what you had to say.

Deja un comentario