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

Researchers from Cornell University in the United States have developed a new method for searching for water on exoplanets using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

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

This method could help determine the surface composition of planets outside the Solar System and provide evidence about the existence of water on these planets.

ANALYZING BASALTS Cornell University Engineering Professor Esteban Gazel stated, “When Earth’s mantle melts, basalt forms. When Mars’ mantle melts, basalt also forms. The Moon’s surface mainly consists of basalt. Therefore, we are trying to decipher the structure of exoplanets by analyzing basalts on Earth with data from JWST.” Gazel and Assistant Professor Emily First from Macalester College contributed to a study published in Nature Astronomy. In their research, they focus on understanding how minerals form rocks and the spectral traces left by these processes.

MEASURING INFRARED LIGHT

As part of the study, the infrared light emitted by 15 different basalt samples was measured to determine the basalt spectral signatures detectable by JWST.

If basaltic lavas emerge and solidify into rocks on the surface of an exoplanet, they can interact with water to form new minerals.

Scientists can determine the presence of water on an exoplanet’s surface or interior by examining small spectral differences in basalt samples.

“Super Earth” Examined 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 specific computer code to model the surface of this planet with basalt spectral data.

Researchers are trying to understand how rocks are formed and under what conditions by analyzing the proportions of silicon, aluminum, and magnesium in planets. 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.