Astrophysics (Index)About

free-floating planet

(FFP, IPMO, rogue planet, isolated PMO, MACHO, field planet, isolated planetary mass object, wandering planet, interstellar planet)
(planet that is not orbiting a star)

A free-floating planet is a planet that is not orbiting a star. Their existence is suggested by planetary migration theories and simulations which indicate planets kicked from a stellar system, i.e., accelerated beyond escape velocity in a gravitational encounter with one or more other planets. Any such planets are by definition exoplanets (beyond the solar system) and MACHOs. Some other terms used for such planets:

Like all exoplanets, they are challenging to detect and observe, and the effective exoplanet detection methods based upon observing the host star do not apply. Nearby candidates are observable IR sources, and gravitational microlensing can turn up candidates. With the ongoing improvement of observation equipment, candidates are being discovered, largely within the last decade or two. Invariably the question arises whether the candidate is actually a brown dwarf: there is always uncertainty regarding the object's mass and internal characteristics that would classify it. An example candidate is WISE 0855-0714.


(planet type)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_planet
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planetary-mass_object
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Rogue_planets
https://dictionary.obspm.fr/index.php?formSearchTextfield=free-floating&showAll=1
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2023Ap%26SS.368...17M/abstract
https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2023AJ....166..108S/abstract

Referenced by pages:
field
gravitational lensing
J1407
MACHO
planet type
planetary mass object (PMO)
WIMP
WISE 0855-0714 (W0855)

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