Decaying orbits of exoplanets linked to stellar magnetic fields
Published
London, UK (SPX) Apr 30, 2024
Researchers at Durham University have identified a new mechanism potentially explaining the orbital decay of exoplanets around sun-like stars, a phenomenon observed in systems such as WASP-12b. The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, highlights how stellar magnetic fields may significantly influence the gravitational tides between these stars and their closely orbiting '