In a significant development, a team of scientists from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, have discovered a new exoplanet, TOI-6038A b, a dense sub-Saturn-sized planet in a wide binary system, according to a ISRO statement.
The planet has a mass of 78.5 Earth masses and a radius of 6.41 Earth radii, orbiting a bright, metal-rich F-type star every 5.83 days in a circular orbit.
TOI-6038A b lies in the transition region between Neptune-like and gas giant exoplanets, classified as a "Sub-Saturn"—a category absent in our solar system. This makes it a unique subject for studying planetary formation and evolution.
This marks the second exoplanet discovery using the advanced PARAS-2 spectrograph, attached to the 2.5-meter telescope at PRL's Mount Abu Observatory in Gurushikhar, Mount Abu.
It is also the fifth exoplanet detection using the combined efforts of the PARAS-1 and PARAS-2 spectrographs, underscoring India's growing expertise in astronomical instrumentation.
The PARAS-2 spectrograph is Asia's highest-resolution stabilised radial velocity (RV) spectrograph.
The precise RV data from PARAS-2, along with high-spatial resolution speckle imaging from PRL's telescope, played a crucial role in confirming the planetary nature of the transit signal.
Scientists believe it formed through unique mechanisms such as high-eccentricity tidal migration (HEM) or early disk-driven migration.
The planet's host star, TOI-6038A, is part of a binary system, with a companion K-type star, TOI-6038B, located 3217 AU (Astronomical Units) away.
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