Artist's Impression of the Giant Planet and White Dwarf (IMAGE)
Caption
The giant planet is orbiting the white dwarf just outside the gas disc. The blast of high-energy photons that it receives from the white dwarfs evaporates its atmosphere, which is mainly composed of hydrogen, oxygen and sulphur. Whereas much of the hydrogen is forced away from the white dwarf by its ultraviolet photons in a comet-like tail, oxygen and sulphur fall towards the white dwarf, forming the disc we have detected. The light we see from the disc comes only from a few strong emission lines: oxygen lines, which we would see as red light, light up the inner part of the disc, and sulphur lines, which would appear blue, are stronger in the outer regions of the disc.
Credit
Credit: University of Warwick/Mark Garlick
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This image is free for use if used in direct connection with this story but image copyright and credit must be University of Warwick/Mark Garlick
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