JWST May Be Missing Water Hidden Deep Within Mini-Neptune Worlds
Researchers are using computer models to study the atmospheric composition of the sub-Neptune exoplanet TOI-270 d. The study aims to determine how water and hydrogen interact within these common but poorly understood planets.
Why it matters
Understanding the composition of sub-Neptunes helps astronomers better characterize the most common type of planet in the galaxy.
Sub-Neptune exoplanets, exoplanets that are slightly smaller than Neptune, have been designated as the most common type of planet in the Milky Way Galaxy based on their vast discovery numbers, totaling almost 3,300 out of the more than 6,300 confirmed exoplanets to date. Despite these numbers, the characteristics of sub-Neptunes remain relatively unknown. This is primarily due to our own solar system not having its own sub-Neptune to use as an analog, along with their atmospheres being thick and hazy. As a result, this makes telescopic observations, even from powerful instruments like NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, extremely difficult.
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