Assistant Professor Songhu Wang's research has recently been highlighted in an IU News Article. Songhu joined the IU Astronomy faculty in 2020 and has been rapidly expanding our understanding of the evolution of 'Hot and Warm Jupiters'.
An excerpt from the IU News Article:
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Research led by an Indiana University astronomer challenges longstanding beliefs about the isolation of “hot Jupiters” and proposes a new mechanism for understanding the exoplanets’ evolution.
While our Jupiter is far away from the sun, hot Jupiters are gas giant planets that closely orbit stars outside our solar system for an orbital period of less than 10 days. Previous studies suggested they rarely have any nearby companion planets, leading scientists to believe that hot Jupiters formed and evolved through a violent process that expelled other planets from the area as they moved closer to their host stars. The research team’s findings reveal that hot Jupiters do not always orbit alone.
“Our research shows that at least a fraction of hot Jupiters cannot form through a violent process,” said Songhu Wang, assistant professor of astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences. “This is a significant contribution to advance our understanding of hot Jupiter formation, which can help us learn more about our own solar system.”
Wang presented the results of the research at the June 2023 meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
To read the full article, please follow the link: ‘Hot Jupiters’ may not be orbiting alone
To find out more about current research within the IU Astronomy Department: Astronomy Research as IU
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