It is useless to have the best shoes if we do not have the proper training and physical fitness to run a marathon. This is something obvious. However, the scientists who henceforth manage the james webb data may run into a similar problem. The space telescope it is the most powerful of its kind ever created, but the technology to process its information might not be up to the task. At least, that is the suspicion of a team of MIT scientiststhe results of which have just been published in Nature Astronomy.
According to them, the problem would be in the study of the atmospheres of exoplanets. This is one of the most important functions of the James Webb. In fact, it was precisely one of the first images that he sent on the day of his official inauguration. However, the data they send about it could be misunderstood.
In a statement, these scientists have warned that having to retract a finding due to a misinterpretation of the data could call science into question. That’s why they do a caution and to the careful study of the information provided by James Webb.
Why is it so difficult to interpret the James Webb data?
Life alters atmospheric gas composition of a planet. You just have to look at the example of the Earth, whose gas profiles such as oxygen, carbon dioxide or ozone are due to the activity of living beings on it.
Another hypothetical planet with life would not have to have exactly the same gas profile. However, an estimate can be made as to whether there might be a relationship. This is something that has been done for years through a mechanism known as opacity model.
This model is based on the fact that the different gases found in the atmosphere absorb electromagnetic radiation in a different way. For this reason, if light is made to fall on it, by seeing how different wavelengths are attenuated, it is possible to know what gases are in its composition.
For years, this has been possible to analyze thanks to the Hubblee, because it was this that made the light pass through the atmosphere of the exoplanets and it collected the data that was emitted back in the form of attenuation of some and other wavelengths. With this space telescope and the existing data processing tools, rough estimates could be made. Now, one would expect that much more specific data would be obtained with the James Webb. But there is no training for such good shoes.
Failure in the experiments
These MIT scientists did not reach their conclusions simply by speculating. In fact, they took the tools used in their day with Hubble and ran through them a series of artificially perturbed versions of the spectrum of a single planet observed by the James Webb. The results were not as specific as might be expected from such a state-of-the-art space telescope.
In fact, they couldn’t tell if a planet was at a tropical 27°C from a near-Venusian 300°C. And they also couldn’t tell if the atmospheric pressure was similar to Earth’s or twice that of Earth’s. They couldn’t even determine the abundance of gases to a factor of five.
Given this lack of precision, assumptions could be made, but this is where care must be taken. A poorly calculated approach could launch news to the population that, after a great reception, would end up being denied.
Therefore, it is not a question of stopping analyzing the James Webb data while waiting for the training to do justice to the shoes. but yes to know where are the limitations for now and avoid taking everything for granted. Thus, it will be possible to continue working until, little by little, the available processing tools are up to the task of new instruments such as the James Webb and many others that are yet to come.