Recent observations by scientists have revealed an unusual system: a giant gas planet, whose orbit is near the red dwarf. This completely contradicts the existing theories of the origin and further development of planets.
Astronomers who conduct research at the Catalan Space Research Institute have discovered an unusual combination of a dwarf star and a large planet. It is not consistent with traditional ideas about the formation of planets and their systems.
The red dwarf GJ 3512 is located at a relatively small distance from the Earth - about 30 light years. A gas giant, like Jupiter, revolves around it. The year on this planet is 204 Earth days. But this planet is only 10 times smaller than the parent star. Such a find is presented in the scientific publication Science.
The average mass of red dwarfs is only 2 times less than the Sun. They shine with an extremely dim light. And exoplanets wrapping around them are open today for no more than one tenth. This is amazing because in our galaxy it is the red dwarfs that are the most common.
Object GJ 3512 is more than unusual. He has seen fluctuations due to the gravitational impact of the planet giant wrapping around it. Calculations show that the mass of the exoplanet is 1/10 of its star.
The author of the study, Juan Carlos Morales, does not hide his surprise. It indicates that the planet is unusual. Existing models today say that stars with a small mass can have around them the same small planets. They may be similar to the Earth. Exoplanets behave in exactly the same way near the red dwarf GJ 1061, located at an even smaller distance from the Earth - only 12 light-years away. And all of them are potentially habitable.
The existing theory of planetary evolution says that small planets form gradually. This is facilitated by the collision of cosmic matter, which is scattered around the star. But according to research, such giant objects like Jupiter, the exoplanet around the red dwarf class GJ 3512 evolve in a different way. They grow too slowly, and this increase would not allow them to retain volatile gases for the "full" formation of the gas giant.
Hypotheses suggest that gas giants around red dwarfs are formed as a result of the rapid collapse of huge gas and dust clouds. But this is hardly possible: such a cloud should be very large. And this is impossible due to the young age of the red star. This discrepancy still needs to be explained to astronomers.
Observations of the GJ 3512 planetary system are ongoing. It is likely that there is another planet that fits the criteria of the gas giant. These and other assumptions will be investigated in detail during the forthcoming astronomical observations.
