Water Vapor Molecules Discovered In The Rocky Planet-forming Zone Of A Star System Far Away

Wednesday - July 26 2023, 09:25 UTC - 1 year ago

Water vapor molecules have been discovered for the first time in a rocky planet-forming zone of a star system 370 light-years away from Earth. Significantly, the James Webb Space telescope identified the molecular signature in the region with the potential to develop Earth-like planets. The notable finding of extraterrestrial water offers clues about the formation of Earth and its vast water reservoirs. Current efforts to uncover further details focus on the origin of the water and its ability to retain existence close to the star within the inner disk.

Water vapor molecules have been discovered for the first time in a rocky planet-forming zone of a star system 370 light-years away from us. Interestingly, James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) detected the molecular signature in the region where Earth-like planets are most likely to form. The remarkable finding of extraterrestrial water in this particular location could offer valuable clues about the formation of Earth and the origins of its vast water reservoirs. "This discovery is extremely exciting, as it probes the region where rocky planets similar to Earth typically form," said Thomas Henning, a co-author of this new study, in an official NASA release.

Presence of water in the inner ring .

The Webb's MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) closely observed the captivating alien star system called PDS 70. This system features a K-type star, which is 5.4 million years old and notably cooler than our Sun. This star's surroundings have two protoplanetary rings: inner and outer disks of gas and dust. According to the study, these two huge disks are separated by a massive five billion-mile (eight billion-kilometer) gap that contains two giant exoplanets. Water vapor molecules have been identified in the inner disk of the star system — about less than 100 million miles (160 million kilometers) from the star. "We’ve seen water in other disks, but not so close in and in a system where planets are currently assembling. We couldn’t make this type of measurement before Webb," said Giulia Perotti, lead author from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Heidelberg, Germany.

Within our solar system, the inner disk is the birthplace of rocky planets like Earth, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Webb's observations indicate that any rocky worlds taking shape in this inner region have the potential to acquire substantial amounts of water molecules from their very inception, significantly improving their prospects of becoming habitable in the future.

Up to the present time, no rocky planets have been observed within the inner disk of PDS 70. Nevertheless, there is a ray of hope, as Webb identified hints of raw materials, such as silicate molecules, which suggest the potential formation of rocky worlds.

Where did the water came from? .

The discoveries give rise to two primary inquiries: firstly, the source of the water, and secondly, how the molecules managed to persist in such proximity to the star within the inner ring. The authors put forth two potential explanations for the origin of water. The first hypothesis proposes that water molecules formed in the water-rich nebula, which led to the formation of PDS 70. This implies that water molecules have been present in this inner location for a long period. Alternatively, it is possible that the water originated in the outer ring and subsequently migrated to the inner disk. The ice-coated dust particles could have traveled from the relatively cooler outer region to the significantly hotter inner region. Once within the inner area, the water ice undergoes sublimation, transitioning into water vapor. "Such a transport system would be surprising since the dust would have t have passed the gap between two protoplanetary discs," the researchers wrote in their paper.