Discovered in 2020, TOI-1807b is an extraordinary extrasolar planet known for completing an orbit around its star in less than a day, making its year last only 13 hours. With an estimated age of no more than 300 million years, this exoplanet is among the youngest ever observed.
Methods Used to Observe TOI-1807b: Radial Velocity and Transit
Astronomers have employed both the radial velocity and transit methods to study TOI-1807b. However, due to the young age of the system, observing it has been challenging. The central star, an orange dwarf cooler than the Sun, exhibits significant stellar activity that has long obscured the planet's presence. Only through high-resolution observational techniques have scientists been able to differentiate the planet from its star's activity.
Determining TOI-1807b's Structure: Mass, Radius, and Density
Combining data from the radial velocity and transit methods is crucial for understanding the planet's structure. The former yields the planet's mass, while the latter provides its radius. By knowing both values, researchers can determine the density, which offers insights into the internal structure and potential presence of an atmosphere. In TOI-1807b's case, it has been identified as an Earth-like planet with a mass 2.5 times greater than Earth and a radius 1.5 times larger.
The Absence of a Primordial Atmosphere on TOI-1807b
Young planets like TOI-1807b are typically expected to possess a primordial atmosphere, comprised of gases acquired from the circumstellar disk during formation. However, TOI-1807b lacks an atmosphere, which can be attributed to its proximity to its star. Orbiting at less than 1/100th the Earth-Sun distance, its atmosphere has been stripped away by photoevaporation due to the star's intense activity.
Source Credit: NASA's GSFC/Chris Smith
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