S24A0019

One of the outstanding questions in current planetary science concerns the formation of gas giant planets around very low-mass (VLM) stars. While the state-of-the-art pebble accretion model suggests that their formation around VLM stars is unlikely, observational evidence suggests otherwise. To uncover the origins of these giant planets, elemental compositions, specifically the Carbon-to-Oxygen (C/O) ratio, have been proposed as a powerful diagnostic tool to determine where and how gas giants form and evolve. In this proposal, we aim to estimate the C/O ratios of both the planet and the host star in the 2MASS J04372171+2651014 system, hereafter referred to as 2M0437, using IRCS. Our primary goal is to differentiate between the two potential formation mechanisms of 2M0437b: core accretion or gravitational instability. If the planetary C/O ratio is similar to that of the host star, it may indicate that 2M0437b formed via gravitational instability. Conversely, if the planetary C/O ratio differs significantly from that of the host star, it would support the core/pebble accretion theory. In the latter case, our findings would challenge the prevailing core/pebble accretion model.


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