Researchers have developed a new method using the James Webb Space Telescope to help obtain evidence of water on planets outside the Solar System.

Scientists from Cornell University in the United States have created a new method to search for water on exoplanets using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

By studying the chemical processes that occur in Earth’s hot mantle, scientists are building a basalt-based spectral library.

This method could assist in determining the surface composition of planets outside the Solar System and obtaining evidence of whether there is water on these planets.

ANALYZING BASALTS Esteban Gazel, Engineering Professor at Cornell University, stated, “When Earth’s mantle melts, basalt forms. The mantle of Mars also creates basalt when it melts. The surface of the Moon is largely composed of basalt. Therefore, by analyzing basalts on Earth, we are trying to decipher the structure of exoplanets using data from JWST.” Gazel and Assistant Professor Emily First from Macalester College published a study in Nature Astronomy. They focus on understanding how minerals form rocks and how these processes leave spectral traces.

MEASURING INFRARED LIGHT

As part of the research, the infrared light emitted by 15 different basalt samples was measured. This helped identify the basalt spectral signatures that JWST can detect.

If basaltic lavas emerge on the surface of an exoplanet and cool down, they solidify into rocks. If there is water on the planet, these basalt rocks can interact with water to create new minerals.

By examining small spectral differences in basalt samples, scientists can determine if there is water on the surface or in the internal structure of an exoplanet.

“Super Earth” Investigated The research team examined the ‘Super Earth’ LHS 3844b, located 48 light-years away from Earth, to test their methods.

Ishan Mishra, working in Nikole Lewis’s laboratory, wrote a special computer code to model the surface of this planet with basalt spectral data.

Researchers are analyzing the ratios of silicon, aluminum, and magnesium in the planets to understand how these rocks formed and under what conditions. This research represents a new method that will be used in the search for water on exoplanets by JWST and other observatories in the coming years.