Why in the News?

Scientists at PRL, Ahmedabad, discovered the exoplanet TOI-6038A b, a dense sub-Saturn-sized planet with a mass of 78.5 Earth masses and a radius of 6.41 Earth radii, using the PARAS-2 spectrograph at Mount Abu Observatory.

About PARAS-2 Spectrograph:

• PARAS-2 (PRL Advanced Radial-velocity All-sky Search-2) is a state-of-the-art high-resolution spectrograph designed for exoplanet detection.
• The development of PARAS-2 began in mid-2018 and was successfully installed at the telescope site in mid-2022.
• It is the highest-resolution stabilized radial velocity (RV) spectrograph in Asia, operating at a precision level of 30 cm/s.
• It is installed at PRL’s 2.5-meter telescope at the Mount Abu Observatory, benefiting from high-altitude, clear sky conditions.
• Key Features of PARAS-2:

• • Operates in the 380-690 nm waveband, making it suitable for studying a wide range of celestial objects.
  • Resolution of ~107,000, the highest in Asia, enabling ultra-precise exoplanetary studies.
  • Ultra-stable temperature and pressure environment: Maintained at 24 ± 0.001 °C and 0.005 ± 0.0005 mbar, ensuring minimal instrumental drift.
  • Uses a Uranium Argon Hollow Cathode Lamp (UAr HCL) for calibration, achieving a velocity precision of better than 2 m/s.
  • Advanced optical fiber system for capturing stellar light and spectral calibration data simultaneously.
• It uses the radial velocity method, which detects tiny wobbles in a star’s motion caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet.
• These wobbles cause shifts in the star’s light spectrum, allowing scientists to determine a planet’s presence, mass, and orbital period.
• It can detect minute stellar movements, making it ideal for finding low-mass exoplanets like super-Earths.

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