Budding astronomers from Brampton Manor Academy and Fellow Anna Thomas from UCL Physics and Astronomy delved into the mysterious origins of giant planets, particularly hot Jupiters which are a large percentage of the exoplanet population. These colossal gas giants, orbiting dangerously close to their parent stars, have long puzzled scientists. Using a planet population synthesis model called SPONCHpop, the students aimed to uncover the ideal conditions for their formation.

Their findings paint a picture of a cosmic nursery where hot Jupiters are born in stellar systems with intermediate-mass stars (1-2 solar masses). These systems must also boast a disk rich in metals (elements heavier than hydrogen and helium). Crucially, the young planet's birthplace must be further away from the star, where it can become large enough to start accreting large amounts of gas. Inward migration of these hot Jupiters also occur throughout the whole planet's lifetime!

By tweaking various parameters in their model, the students were able to simulate the evolution of these giant planets over time. One of the best examples of their runs of the simulations revealed that hot Jupiters reach a mass of around 2.3 Jupiter masses and reside at a scorching distance of just 4.3 AU from their host stars.

This research sheds light on the complex processes involved in the formation of these enigmatic worlds and opens up new avenues for future exploration!