Astronomers using the European Space Agency’s Cheops mission have discovered an exoplanet that seems to be triggering massive explosions of radiation from its host star. The planet, HIP 67522 b, orbits extremely close to its star and is thought to be exerting a strong magnetic influence on it.
The star, which is about 17 million years old compared to our Sun’s 4.5 billion years, has been found to produce flares of energy that are much more powerful than expected. These flares are caused by the planet gathering energy as it orbits and then redirecting it along the star’s magnetic field lines, triggering a massive flare.
The research suggests that the planet is losing mass due to its interaction with the star, causing it to shrink over time. In 100 million years, it could potentially transform into a Neptune-sized planet.
This discovery challenges our previous assumption that stars behave independently and has significant implications for understanding exoplanetary systems. The study’s authors are eager to investigate more similar star-planet systems and explore the details of this phenomenon in greater depth.
The Cheops mission, which was designed to characterize exoplanet sizes and atmospheres, has proven to be a valuable tool in uncovering this new aspect of stellar activity. Future missions, such as Plato, will be able to capture smaller flares and provide further insight into this phenomenon.
Source: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Cheops/Clingy_planets_can_trigger_own_doom_suspect_Cheops_and_TESS