Recently, a team of astronomers discovered terbium, a rare-earth metal, in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time. The metal was found on the exoplanet KELT-9, an ultra-hot Jupiter located 670 light-years from Earth. This discovery has been possible thanks to an advanced method developed by researchers at the University of Lund in Sweden.
What is terbium?
Terbium is a metal that belongs to the lanthanide group. It was discovered in 1843 by the Swedish chemist Carl Gustaf Mosander in the Ytterby mine in the Stockholm archipelago. This metal is considered very rare and 99% of its world production takes place in the Bayan Obo mining district in Inner Mongolia.
Terbium is a rare earth metal that has various applications in industry and technology. Below are some of the main applications of terbium:
- Magnet production: Terbium is one of the elements used to produce high-strength permanent magnets. These magnets are used in electric motors, wind turbines, hard drives, among other devices.
- Lighting Technology: Terbium is used in the manufacture of fluorescent lamps and mercury vapor lamps. The addition of terbium to these products improves their energy efficiency and extends their useful life.
- Medicine: Terbium is used in nuclear medicine as a radioisotope for diagnosis and treatment. Its use in cancer therapies has also been investigated.
- Electronics: Terbium is used in the manufacture of electronic devices, such as high-capacitance capacitors, sensors, and memory devices.
- Other uses: Terbium is also used in the production of colored glass, in high-strength alloys, and in scientific research.
As you can see, terbium is a valuable element in industry and technology due to its magnetic properties and its ability to improve the efficiency and durability of various products.
The exoplanet KELT-9
KELT-9 has been a fascinating exoplanet for astronomers since its discovery in 2016. This planet orbits its star at a very close distance, making it a hot Jupiter. It has an average temperature of 4,000 degrees Celsius, making it the hottest exoplanet ever discovered. Due to its temperature, its atmosphere is highly flammable and consists mainly of hydrogen and helium.
The discovery method
Exoplanets are usually discovered by measuring the brightness of stars. When an exoplanet passes in front of its star, the star’s brightness decreases. This method has been used for a long time by astronomers, but it has not been enough to discover the composition of the atmospheres of the planets. Thanks to a new method developed by researchers at Lund University, it has been possible to obtain more detailed information about the atmosphere of the exoplanet KELT-9.
The method consists of the use of cross-correlation spectroscopy, an invaluable tool in the study of exoplanets. However, the presence of interference between the spectral lines makes this technique vulnerable to systematic bias. To overcome this limitation, the researchers used a combination of transit observations of KELT-9 b obtained with the HARPS-N and CARMENES spectrographs. Through a linear regression model, it was possible to identify the interferences present in the cross-correlation function, which allowed the identification of eight new species, including the terbium.
Importance of discovery
The discovery of terbium in the atmosphere of KELT-9 is important because it provides information about how planets form and evolve. Detecting heavy elements in the atmospheres of exoplanets is an important step in understanding how planetary atmospheres work.
More information at lunduniversity.lu.se
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