Ratio of Earth-Sized exoplanets to other sizes of exoplanet?

In summary, this article discusses the internal composition of planets Uranus and Neptune, and how this statistic is interesting to Cerenkov. He asks other members of the PF community for help finding other ratios, and eventually finds one himself.
  • #1
Cerenkov
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Hello.

In this issue of the American Scientist magazine,
https://www.americanscientist.org/magazine/issues/2018/september-october, there's an article by Dominik Kraus of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf Institute of Radiation Physics about the internal composition of the planets Uranus and Neptune. In the opening paragraphs he writes...

The number of planets similar in size to Uranus and Neptune that have been found in the galaxy is roughly nine times greater than the number of much larger planets similar in size to Jupiter and Saturn.

This statistic interests me and I was wondering if other members of PF could help me explore further.
Are there any papers or articles that give other ratios? That is, the ratios of Jovians, Ice-Giants, Super-Earths and Earth-sized exoplanets to each other? Any help given would be appreciated, though I should point out that I'm coming at this from a basic level.

Thank you,

Cerenkov.
 
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  • #2
Such statistic is in general very unreliable - because of observational bias. Larger planets are simply much easier to find. The Kepler survey has delivered less biased dataset for Neptune-sized planet and larger though, and i think reference you cited is referring specifically to Kepler data.

You can also see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initial_mass_function
which shows opinions wildly different even to the jupiter-brown dwarf range.
 
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  • #3
Thanks trurle.

Well, I suppose if I'm to pursue my interest further I'll just have to contact Dominik Kraus directly and ask him where he derived his ratio from.

Cerenkov.
 
  • #4
trurle said:
...Larger planets are simply much easier to find. ...

That would suggest that the number neptunes is higher than the 10:1 ratio reported.

Cerenkov said:
...

This statistic interests me and I was wondering if other members of PF could help me explore further.
Are there any papers or articles that give other ratios? That is, the ratios of Jovians, Ice-Giants, Super-Earths and Earth-sized exoplanets to each other? Any help given would be appreciated, though I should point out that I'm coming at this from a basic level.
...

This website as the full list. You can sort by characteristic like mass or radius. I think wikipedia is more fun to read. You can surf directly to articles.

Planets do not cooperate and fall into neat categories. For example kepler 138b has gas planet densities but Earth like mass.
 
  • #5
Many thanks, Stefan!

I can now work with these data and discover the ratios for myself.

Cerenkov.
 
  • #8
Hey TEFling!

Not 5 minutes ago I ordered Yaqoob's book on Amazon.

It'll arrive, not just in time for Xmas, but more importantly, in time for me to better understand the TESS data release scheduled for January.

https://www.nasa.gov/ames/tess-pipeline

And that result is all down to you.

upload_2018-12-1_20-8-44.png
 

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1. What is the current ratio of Earth-sized exoplanets to other sizes of exoplanets?

The current ratio of Earth-sized exoplanets to other sizes of exoplanets is estimated to be approximately 1:4. This means that for every Earth-sized exoplanet discovered, there are approximately four other sizes of exoplanets found. However, this ratio may change as more exoplanets are discovered and studied.

2. What factors contribute to the ratio of Earth-sized exoplanets to other sizes of exoplanets?

The ratio of Earth-sized exoplanets to other sizes of exoplanets is influenced by several factors, including the size and type of the star the exoplanet orbits, the distance of the exoplanet from its star, and the composition of the exoplanet's atmosphere. These factors can affect the formation and evolution of exoplanets, leading to a variety of sizes and compositions.

3. Are there any trends in the ratio of Earth-sized exoplanets to other sizes of exoplanets?

Yes, there are some trends that have been observed in the ratio of Earth-sized exoplanets to other sizes of exoplanets. For example, smaller, rocky exoplanets like Earth are more common around smaller stars, while larger, gas giant exoplanets are more common around larger stars. Additionally, the farther a planet is from its star, the more likely it is to be a gas giant rather than a rocky planet.

4. How does the ratio of Earth-sized exoplanets to other sizes of exoplanets compare to our own solar system?

The ratio of Earth-sized exoplanets to other sizes of exoplanets in our own solar system is not representative of the overall ratio in the universe. In our solar system, there are eight planets, with four being relatively small and rocky (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) and the other four being larger gas giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune). However, this is not necessarily the norm for other star systems, as the formation and evolution of planets can vary greatly.

5. How does the ratio of Earth-sized exoplanets to other sizes of exoplanets impact the search for habitable planets?

The ratio of Earth-sized exoplanets to other sizes of exoplanets is important in the search for habitable planets because it helps scientists understand the likelihood of finding a planet with similar conditions to Earth. While Earth-sized exoplanets may be more rare, they are still being actively searched for, as they could potentially have the right conditions for life to exist. Additionally, studying the diversity of exoplanets can provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of our own planet.

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