Auroral radio emissions may point the way to exoplanets
APR 22, 2011
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.025246
National Geographic: All planets in our solar system with both a magnetic field and a significant atmosphere have auroras; on Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn they give off distinct radio emissions in addition to visual displays. Jonathan Nichols of the University of Leicester in the UK and colleagues say that radio telescopes are now becoming sensitive enough to detect radio signals from auroras of planets up to 150 light-years from Earth.He and his team found that radio signal detection would be most useful for finding rapidly spinning, Jupiter-size planets that orbit stars shining brightly in ultraviolet UV wavelengths. According to Nichols, the best chance for detecting these planets lies with the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) —which scans the night sky in low radio frequencies—due to its large collecting area and frequency range.
© 2011 American Institute of Physics
