An international scientific research team from the University of Liège and other institutions discovered three Earth-sized planets in the binary star system TOI-2267, which is about 190 light-years away from the Earth. This result, published in detail in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, provides new scientific insights into the formation and stability of planets in binary star systems - in the past, scientists believed that such environments were extremely difficult to breed complex planetary structures.
Lead researcher Sebastián Zúñiga-Fernández, a member of the ExoTIC team at the University of Liège, said: "The analysis shows that this system is very unique: two planets orbit one of the stars, and the third planet orbits the companion star. This makes TOI-2267 the first system where a binary star with a transiting planet has been discovered."
TOI-2267 consists of two stars that are very close together, forming a highly compact orbital structure that is theoretically not conducive to planet formation. Despite this, scientists have detected three small, rocky planets orbiting closely with short periods near the pair of stars. This discovery challenges past long-standing understandings of how planetary systems are formed and maintained in dynamically unstable environments, demonstrating that nature can create stable planetary systems under extreme conditions.
Francisco J. Pozuelos, a scientist at the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA-CSIC) and co-leader of the study, said: "Our discovery breaks several records, including that it is the most compact and coldest binary planet combination known to orbit, and it is also the first time that a planet transit has been observed on both sides of a binary star."
This discovery made use of data collected by the space telescope. The first two planets were identified by the University of Liège and IAA-CSIC teams with the help of the self-developed software SHERLOCK, and subsequent ground-based follow-up observations were carried out in advance. The signal was finally confirmed using multiple observatories including SPECULOOS and TRAPPIST. These robotic telescopes, led by the University of Liège, are specifically designed to study small exoplanets around distant, cooler stars, playing a key role in the confirmation of planets and the qualitative analysis of systems.
Sebastián Zúñiga-Fernández added: "The discovery of three Earth-like planets in such a cramped binary system provides us with a rare opportunity to test the applicability of planet formation theories in complex environments and better understand the diverse planetary structures that may exist in the Milky Way." Francisco J. Pozuelos pointed out: "This system is a natural laboratory for understanding whether rocky planets can form and survive in extreme dynamic environments, and previous concepts believed that their stability would be greatly limited."
This discovery not only raises new questions about the mechanism of planet formation in a binary star environment, but also paves the way for follow-up observations, including the hope of accurately determining the mass, density and even atmospheric composition of these exoplanets with the help of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and a new generation of large ground-based observatories.
The research team emphasized that this result also demonstrates the powerful ability of space missions to collaborate with ground-based special telescopes (such as SPECULOOS and TRAPPIST) to push the boundaries of exoplanet science.
Compiled from /ScitechDaily