Astronomers have long been puzzled by mysterious pairs of gas giants, known as JuMBOs (Jupiter-mass binary objects), which orbit each other at vast distances without a parent star. A new study suggests that these enigmatic duos may have arisen from embryonic stars. The theory proposes that the intense radiation from massive stars could fragment and compress pre-stellar cores, transforming them into JuMBO pairs.
Researchers Richard Parker and Jessica Diamond found that simulating this process in virtual pre-stellar cores resulted in paired objects with masses and separation distances similar to those observed in nature. This finding provides a possible explanation for how JuMBOs form. The study’s authors acknowledge that more data is needed to confirm the hypothesis, but their results offer an exciting new direction for understanding these mysterious objects.
The discovery was made using the James Webb Space Telescope, which spotted JuMBOs in the Orion Nebula. These vast distances between the planet partners are unusual, with some pairs separated by 25-400 times the average distance between Earth and the sun. The new theory challenges existing ideas on how JuMBOs form, proposing that they may originate from embryonic stars rather than pre-existing planets.
While the study’s findings are promising, more research is required to confirm this hypothesis. Parker notes that other theories for JuMBO formation should not be ruled out, and further investigation into star-forming complexes with massive stars could provide additional evidence to support or refute the idea.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/we-know-so-little-bizarre-runaway-planets-discovered-by-james-webb-telescope-may-be-failed-stars-in-disguise