Space

NASA Scientists Show How Gravitational Waves Can Reveal New Worlds

Read full article at source ↗

Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 10/11/2026, 16:50:24 UTC.

Briefings

NASA scientists published two papers in The Astrophysical Journal detailing how the LISA observatory could detect exoplanets around binary white dwarf systems. The first paper by Casey McGrath explains the detection method, identifying orbital periods and planet masses where signals would be imprinted. The second paper by McGrath and coauthors describes using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to confirm these planets via infrared excess. LISA, a space mission launched in the mid-2030s, will detect Jupiter-mass planets up to thousands of light-years away. The Milky Way is estimated to contain 10 million such systems, with LISA resolving about 10,000 individual systems. The James Webb Space Telescope can confirm planets within 500 light-years, detecting sub-Jupiter planets under ideal circumstances. The LISA mission consists of three spacecraft forming a 1.6 million-mile triangle, each carrying two telescopes for laser signal transmission.

Key points

• LISA will detect Jupiter-mass planets in binary white dwarf systems up to thousands of light-years away.
• The James Webb Space Telescope can confirm exoplanets within 500 light-years using infrared excess detection.

Context

Two papers published Tuesday in The Astrophysical Journal detail findings on how LISA could reveal a new population of exoplanets. The LISA mission is slated for launch in the mid-2030s, with NASA contributing telescopes and engineering support. The detection method relies on gravitational waves from tightly orbiting white dwarfs, where a planet's presence creates sidebands in the signal. This represents a distinct new exoplanet population, as no planets have yet been found around binary white dwarfs.

Limitations

The evidence is limited to two published papers in The Astrophysical Journal. Specific planet masses and orbital periods are conditional on ideal circumstances for LISA detection. The James Webb Space Telescope's infrared sensitivity is estimated to detect planets out to 500 light-years, though confirmation depends on the specific system's characteristics.

Generated by Bittrees-hosted qwen35-2b sha256:aaf42c8b7c3c on 10/11/2026, 16:54:28 UTC. Based on publisher-provided feed evidence; may not cover the full original article. Check the source for details.

View archived briefing on IPFS
bafybeih3gojebmsbwj5e4wg6ipevvmnpvozgry3reonxelip4axd6kupoi