PSO J318.5−22 explained

PSO J318.5−22
Discovery Site:Pan-STARRS PS1 telescope, Haleakalā
Discovery Method:Direct imaging
Discovered:2013
Alt Names:,
PSO J318.5338-22.8603,
TIC 24266526,
WISE J211408.13-225137.3
Apsis:astron
Sidereal Day:8.6 h
Axial Tilt:56.2° (to plane of sky)
Spectral Type:L7

PSO J318.5−22 is an extrasolar object of planetary mass that does not orbit a parent star, it is an analog to directly imaged young gas giants. There is no consensus yet among astronomers whether the object should be referred to as a sub-brown dwarf,[1] [2] as a rogue planet or as a young brown dwarf.[3] [4] It is approximately 80 light-years away and belongs to the Beta Pictoris moving group. The object was discovered in 2013 in images taken by the Pan-STARRS PS1 wide-field telescope. PSO J318.5-22's age is inferred to be 23 million years, the same age as the Beta Pictoris moving group. Based on its calculated temperature and age, it is classified under the brown dwarf spectral type L7.

The team leader, Michael Liu of the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii, stated, "We have never before seen an object free-floating in space that looks like this. It has all the characteristics of young planets found around other stars, but it is drifting out there all alone."[5] Current theories about such objects include the possibility that gravitational perturbations may have kicked them out of their planetary systems soon after they formed through planetary accretion, or they may have been formed by some other means.[6] Estimated temperatures inside its clouds exceed 800C. The clouds, made of hot dust and molten iron, show how widespread clouds are in planets and planet-like objects.[7] However, by 2020, modeling showed that the brightness variability could not be unambiguously attributed to clouds.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Vos . Johanna M. . Biller . Beth A. . Allers . Katelyn N. . Faherty . Jacqueline K. . Liu . Michael C. . Metchev . Stanimir . Eriksson . Simon . Manjavacas . Elena . Dupuy . Trent J. . Janson . Markus . Radigan-Hoffman . Jacqueline . Crossfield . Ian . Bonnefoy . Mickaël . Best . William M. J. . Homeier . Derek . 2020-07-01 . Spitzer Variability Properties of Low-gravity L Dwarfs . The Astronomical Journal . 160 . 1 . 38 . 2005.12854 . 2020AJ....160...38V . 10.3847/1538-3881/ab9642 . free . 0004-6256.
  2. Tremblin . P. . Phillips . M. W. . Emery . A. . Baraffe . I. . Lew . B. W. P. . Apai . D. . Biller . B. A. . Bonnefoy . M. . November 2020 . Rotational spectral modulation of cloudless atmospheres for L/T brown dwarfs and extrasolar giant planets . Astronomy & Astrophysics . 643 . A23 . 2009.06269 . 2020A&A...643A..23T . 10.1051/0004-6361/202038771 . 0004-6361.
  3. Faherty . Jacqueline K. . Riedel . Adric R. . Cruz . Kelle L. . Gagne . Jonathan . Filippazzo . Joseph C. . Lambrides . Erini . Fica . Haley . Weinberger . Alycia . Thorstensen . John R. . Tinney . C. G. . Baldassare . Vivienne . Lemonier . Emily . Rice . Emily L. . 2016-07-01 . POPULATION PROPERTIES OF BROWN DWARF ANALOGS TO EXOPLANETS* . The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series . 225 . 1 . 10 . 1605.07927 . 2016ApJS..225...10F . 10.3847/0067-0049/225/1/10 . free . 0067-0049.
  4. Beiler . Samuel A . Allers . Katelyn N . Cushing . Michael . Faherty . Jacqueline . Marley . Mark . Skemer . Andrew . 2022-12-08 . L -band spectroscopy of young brown dwarfs . Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society . en . 518 . 4 . 4870–4894 . 2211.07673 . 2023MNRAS.518.4870B . 10.1093/mnras/stac3307 . free . 0035-8711.
  5. Web site: 10 October 2013 . Young planet, six times more massive than Jupiter, found hanging alone without star . dead . 4 March 2022 . Pentagon Post . en-US . 4 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220304190815/https://www.pentagonpost.com/young-planet-times-massive-jupiter-hanging-star-2-83413012/ .
  6. Web site: Boyle . Alan . 9 October 2013 . Astronomers say they've spotted lonesome planet without a sun . 4 March 2022 . . en.
  7. News: Edinburgh University astronomers find sunless world . BBC News . 3 November 2015.

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