Astronomers have detected for the first time a radio signal coming directly from a planet outside the solar system. The source is the gas giant Beta Pictoris b, located 63 light-years from Earth.
The discovery was made by scientists from Harvard University and the University of Oregon using the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa. The radio emission is localized to the planet itself, and not just to the star system in which it is located.
The signal is related to a magnetic field
Beta Pictoris b has a mass about 12 times greater than that of Jupiter. According to the data, its magnetic field is at least 200 times stronger than Jupiter's magnetic field.
The recorded radio pulses are the result of processes related to the movement of charged particles in the magnetic field. They resemble the phenomena that cause the auroras on Earth.
“To observe radio waves at the frequencies that we recorded, an extremely strong magnetic field is required“, said Edo Berger, professor of astronomy at Harvard University.“The movement of charged particles in the magnetic field produces both auroras and radio waves“, Berger explains.
No evidence of extraterrestrial communication
The researchers specify that the signal has nothing to do with alleged communication from an extraterrestrial civilization. This is natural radio emission generated by the planet's powerful magnetosphere.
The magnetic field acts as a natural shield against charged particles. On Earth, it limits the impact of the solar wind, which can destroy the upper layers of the atmosphere.
The results are described in a scientific paper that is still awaiting publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The authors point out that direct observation of the magnetic field could provide new information about the interior of distant planets and their ability to retain their atmospheres.
Source: cnnbrasil.com.br