For a long time, scientists thought that hot jupiter planets orbited their stars alone. However, recent observations suggest otherwise.
A new study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics has found a planetary system with multiple planets, including a hot jupiter, an inner super-Earth and an outer icy giant planet. The discovery challenges our understanding of how these planets form and evolve.
The system, called WASP-132, is a unique multi-planetary system that contains a hot jupiter orbiting its star in just seven days and three hours, a super-Earth with an orbital period of only 24 hours and 17 minutes, and a giant planet that orbits the host star in five years.
The study’s lead author, François Bouchy, said, “WASP-132 is a remarkable laboratory for studying the formation and evolution of multi-planetary systems.” The team used advanced observations and precise measurements to determine the planets’ masses, densities and internal compositions.
Their findings suggest that hot jupiter planets are not always alone in their planetary system. Instead, they must form far from their star and migrate as the system evolves. The presence of other planets, like WASP-132’s inner super-Earth and outer giant planet, indicates a more stable migration path for the hot jupiter.
The discovery sheds new light on theories of planet formation and migration processes. Ravit Helled, co-author of the study, concluded, “WASP-132 demonstrates the diversity and complexity of multi-planetary systems, underlining the need for very long-term, high-precision observations.”
Source: https://phys.org/news/2025-01-hot-jupiters-orbit-solo.html