Hot Neptune
A hot Neptune is a type of giant planet with a mass similar to that of Uranus or Neptune in an orbit close to its star, normally less than 1 AU.[1] The first hot Neptune to be discovered with certainty was Gliese 436 b in 2007, an exoplanet about 33 light years away. Recent observations have revealed a larger potential population of hot Neptunes in the Milky Way than previously thought.[2]
General characteristics
Because of their close proximity to their parent star, hot Neptunes have a much greater rate and chance of transiting their star as seen from a farther outlying point, than planets of the same mass in larger orbits. This increases the chances of discovering them by transit-based observation methods.
The most notable transiting hot Neptunes are Gliese 436 b and HAT-P-11b, which was recently observed by the Kepler mission. Gliese 436 b (also known as GJ 436b) was the first hot Neptune to be discovered with certainty in 2007. The exoplanet Mu Arae c (or HD 160691 c) discovered in 2004 might also be a hot Neptune, but it has not been determined definitively.
The first theoretical study of how hot Neptunes could form was carried out in 2004.[3]
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Oligarchic formation of hot Neptunes
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Sources
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. A discussion of the "Detection of transits of the nearby hot Neptune GJ 436 b" paper.
<templatestyles src="Asbox/styles.css"></templatestyles>
 |
This extrasolar-planet-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
