Why is a star-planet pair just 12 light-years away emitting radio signals?

Source: The post is based on the article “Why is a star-planet pair just 12 light-years away emitting radio signals?” published in The Hindu on 20th April 2023

What is the News?

Astronomers have discovered a repeating radio signal from YZ Ceti b, a rocky, Earth-sized exoplanet.

What is YZ Ceti b?

YZ Ceti b is a rocky, Earth-sized exoplanet rotating around a small red dwarf star only 12 light-years away from Earth.

What have astronomers discovered?

Astronomers have detected a repeating radio signal from YZ Ceti b.This discovery suggests the presence of a magnetic field around the planet, which is one of the prerequisites for a habitable planet.

How does Ceti b produce radio signals?

The radio signals detected from YZ Ceti b are a result of the interaction between the planet’s magnetic field and the star.

Such signals can only be produced if the exoplanet orbits very close to its parent star and has its own magnetic field to influence the stellar wind and generate the signals.

Why is a magnetic field important?

The magnetic field is important because the survival of a planet’s atmosphere may well depend on its having, or not having, a strong magnetic field, since the field protects its atmosphere from being eroded by the charged particles blowing in from its star.

What are Red Dwarf Stars?

Red dwarf stars are small, low-mass, dim, and cool stars, they are the most common and smallest in the universe.

As they don’t radiate much light, it’s very tough to detect them with the naked eye from Earth.

However, as red dwarfs are dimmer than other stars, it is easier to find exoplanets that surround them. Therefore, red dwarfs are a popular target for planet hunting.