Incredible news from astronomers! They found two Neptune-sized exoplanets orbiting TOI-6109, a sun-like star in the Alpha Persei cluster. This new star is about 75 million years old. With solar-like characteristics to our own sun, it represents an exciting target for pioneering follow-up characterization. These discoveries were realized with the help of observations taken by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
TOI-6109 has an effective temperature of 5,660 Kelvin and a luminosity of about 0.88 times that of the sun. These features work together to create a supportive environment for planetary formation and evolution. The two additional exoplanets, TOI-6109 b and TOI-6109 c, represent a rare variety of orbital architectures. Understanding these features may provide key insights into planetary formation and evolution in their formative stages.
Characteristics of TOI-6109
TOI-6109 is special due to its incredible age and stellar characteristics. On top of that, it has a particularly interesting location centered within the Alpha Persei cluster. This cluster has no shortage of relatively young stars. Because of this, TOI-6109 is a perfect target for understanding how planets form. The star’s effective temperature and stellar luminosity suggest that it is on the same evolutionary path as our sun. This homology is particularly fascinating for the purposes of comparative study.
With an effective temperature of 5,660 K, TOI-6109 emits light and heat comparable to our sun. With a luminosity of just 0.88 solar luminosities, it’s a bit on the dim side compared to our closest stellar companion. This unique combination of factors makes for a fast-moving environment where exoplanets can really flourish.
Discovery of Exoplanets
Scientists have recently found another pair of exoplanets, TOI-6109 b and TOI-6109 c. Both of these planets have a radius of 4.83 Earth radii. Discovered using the TESS photometry, TOI-6109 b orbits its host star every 5.69 days at a distance of ~0.06 AU. In contrast, TOI-6109 c has an orbital period of 8.54 days, on an orbit of about 0.078 AU. Because of their proximity to TOI-6109, their atmospheric composition and potential for habitability is a question worth pursuing.
The orbital configurations of these planets place them just outside a 3:2 mean motion resonance. Such a configuration would undoubtedly provide unique clues to their gravitational interactions and evolutionary past. Researchers hope that grasping these dynamics can ultimately illustrate how planets form, migrate and settle into stable configurations.
“We report the discovery of a planetary system around TOI-6109, a young, 75 Myr-old sun-like star in the Alpha Persei cluster,” – Researchers
Future Research Directions
The finding of TOI-6109 and its Neptune-sized exoplanets makes for a thrilling follow-up opportunity. Anne Dattilo and her team illustrated the uniqueness of this planetary system. They cited its youth and near-resonant state as prominent factors for the need of further investigation.
Further transit followup of TOI-6109 will help better constrain the TTV based masses of the planets through improved TTV modeling. This data will allow for more in-depth studies of their dynamical interactions, to the benefit of the scientific community’s broader understanding of planetary systems.
“The system’s youth and near-resonant state make it a prime candidate for further investigation. Continued transit monitoring of TOI-6109 will refine the TTV-derived masses and enable detailed studies of its dynamical interactions. These efforts will contribute to our broader understanding of how planets form, migrate, and settle into their final configurations,” – Anne Dattilo et al
