You may not be all familiar with planet LHS 3844b, but it now has its own distinction: it is the first planet outside our solar system where astronomers think they may have evidence of tectonic activity.
This evidence is a set of advanced simulations based on observations of the rocky planet, which is slightly larger than Earth. What is important for this particular research does not appear to be the exoplanet’s atmosphere.
This leaves half of LHS 3844b permanently exposed to its sun and can mean up to about 800 degrees Celsius (1,472 degrees Fahrenheit) at daytime temperatures and about 250 degrees Celsius (minus 418 degrees Fahrenheit) at night. temporal ‘side.
“We thought that this severe temperature contrast could affect the flow of material inside the planet,” says astronomer Tobias Meier of the University of Bern in Switzerland.
Based on observations of the phase curve of the planet’s brightness and possible temperatures, and computer models that simulate different possible tectonic materials and heat sources, Meier and his colleagues believe that there is a flow of subterranean material on the hemisphere.
Most simulations performed by the researchers showed only upward flow on one side of the planet and only downward flow on the other side, but in some scenarios it was reversed – a surprising find and one that did not match the tectonic movement on earth.
“Based on what we are used to from Earth, you would expect the material to be lighter on the hot day and therefore flow upwards and vice versa,” says geophysicist Dan Bower of the University of Bern
The underlying reason is the changing temperature of the mantle material as it moves, with colder rocks becoming stiff and less mobile, and warmer rock becoming much more liquid as it warms up. According to scientists, the displacement of surface and material can lead to an incredible tectonic activity.
“On whatever side of the planet the material flows upward, a large amount of volcanism would be expected on that particular side,” says Bower.
Consequently, scientists suggest that LHS 3844b may cover one entire hemisphere with volcanoes, while the other side shows almost no volcanic activity – all due to the intense temperature contrast around the planet.
The kind of surge that these volcanoes would cause is similar to what we see on Earth, but only in specific places, such as Hawaii and Iceland. In more general terms, the tectonic motion that these models represent is nothing but our solar system.
As more powerful space telescopes come online and improve our understanding of exoplanets, further observations and research should help confirm what is happening on the surface of LHS 3844b – and whether it is really half-covered by volcanoes.
“Our simulations show how such patterns can manifest, but it requires more detailed observations to verify,” says Meier.
“For example, with a higher resolution map of surface temperature that may indicate improved degassing of volcanism, or detection of volcanic gases. This is something we hope future research will help us understand.”
The research was published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.