Promising Exoplanet Trappist-1e Could Harbor Water, Future observations May Reveal All
WASHINGTON - Astronomers are edging closer to determining if the exoplanet Trappist-1e could be habitable, with new research suggesting it exists at a critical juncture where it could be either a dry, rocky world or one covered in vast oceans. The findings, coupled with upcoming observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), could soon reveal whether this planet, orbiting a star 40 light-years from Earth, possesses an atmosphere capable of supporting liquid water.
The Trappist-1 system, known for its seven Earth-sized planets, has long been a focus in the search for life beyond our solar system. These planets share characteristics with terrestrial planets like Earth,and conditions suggest the potential for liquid water – a key ingredient for life as we certainly know it – but an atmosphere is crucial to maintain those conditions.
According to Eric Agnomus, a professor at the University of Washington’s Astronomy Department, an atmosphere is needed to prevent water from freezing or escaping into space. While trappist-1e is considered the most promising candidate for an Earth-like atmosphere, the planet’s true nature remains uncertain.
New computer simulations detailed in a study published Wednesday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters by Howard Chen, an assistant space science professor at the Florida Institute of Technology, show Trappist-1e is at a “turning point.” “That means that both the ‘naked rock’ scenarios and those of ‘bearer of atmosphere’ remain physically plausible,” Chen explained in an email.
The simulations suggest the planet could have formed as a desert world, similar to its closer neighbors, or a water-rich planet. Current JWST data cannot yet differentiate between these possibilities, but Chen believes future observations could provide a definitive answer. “The fact that Trappist-1e can be plausibly very dry and very humid means that JWST’s next observations could offer dramatic revelation,” he said.
AGOL, who did not participate in the new research but is involved in upcoming observations alongside Espinoza and his colleagues, remains cautiously optimistic.”The results are interesting, but also incomplete,” he stated in an email, adding that he is “agnostic about whether Trappist-1 and can have an atmosphere similar to that of the Earth or not.”
