Mini-Neptunes and super-Earths are four times the size of our planet. These are the most common exoplanets
Previously it was believed that the super-Earth was a rockthe core of mini-Neptunes without a gas atmosphere. However, in a new study, astronomers from McGill University have proven that the gas atmosphere is not a necessary factor.
According to one theory, most exoplanetsare born as mini-Neptunes, but some are stripped of their gaseous envelopes by radiation from their host stars, leaving only a dense, rocky core. This theory predicts that there are very few exoplanets in our galaxy that are Earth-sized or smaller. However, recent observations show that this algorithm does not always work.
To find out more, astronomers usedsimulation to track the evolution of exoplanets. In their model, they used thermodynamic calculations based on how massive the super-Earths cores are, how far they are from their host stars, and how hot the surrounding gas is.
Contrary to previous theories, our study shows that some exoplanets will not be able to create a gaseous atmosphere.
Name Eva Lee, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, McGill University and McGill Space Institute
The results obtained indicate thatexoplanets most likely formed as a result of the combination of different types of rocks that appeared in the rotating disk of gas and dust around their host stars.
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