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PRL Scientists Discover New Exoplanet TOI-6038A b Using PARAS-2 Spectrograph.

Science and Technology | Dated: 20 Feb 2025

In February 2025, scientists at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), an autonomous unit of the Department of Space (DOS) of the Government of India (GOI) in Ahmedabad, discovered a new exoplanet, TOI-6038A b. It is classified as a dense sub-Saturn-sized planet with a mass of 78.5 Earth masses and a radius of 6.41 Earth radii in a wide binary system. The planet orbits the main F-type star every 5.83 days in a circular orbit.

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - The TOI-6038A b lies in the transition region between Neptune-like and gas-giant exoplanets, called "Sub-Saturn" (a category absent in our solar system), offering a rare opportunity to study planetary formation and evolution.
  • - This is the 2nd exoplanet discovered using the PRL Advanced Radial-velocity All-sky Search-2 (PARAS-2) spectrograph attached to the 2.5-meter (m) telescope at PRL's Mount Abu Observatory at Gurushikhar, Rajasthan.
  • - It is also the 5th exoplanet detected using the combined efforts of PRL Advanced Radial Velocity Abu Sky Search (PARAS-1) and PARAS-2 spectrographs. It is only the 5th sub-Saturn exoplanet discovered in a binary system.

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) TOI-6038A b has a high density of 1.62 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³), suggesting its formation through High-Eccentricity Tidal Migration (HEM) or early disk-driven migration. Its internal structure analysis indicates that 75% of its mass consists of a massive rocky core, while the remaining 25% is a Hydrogen-Helium (H/He) envelope.
  • (ii) Its host star, TOI-6038A, is part of a binary system with a companion K-type star, TOI-6038B, which is located 3217 Astronomical Units (AU) away.
  • (iii) PARAS-2 is Asia's highest-resolution stabilized radial velocity (RV) spectrograph.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Which organization recently discovered the exoplanet TOI-6038A b Using PARAS-2 Spectrograph?

Correct Answer: PRL

🚀 Quick Recap: