\n<\/p>\n
We recently reported on how the mountains of data produced by astronomical instruments are \u201cperfect for AI.\u201d We\u2019ve also started reporting on several use cases for different AI algorithms. Now, a team of researchers from the University of Texas has developed a new use case that focuses on discovering the interior makeup of exoplanets by looking at a specific type of star.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n That particular kind of star is known as a \u201cpolluted\u201d white dwarf. White dwarves are the end stage of stars that are too small to go supernova. After going through a red giant phase, our sun will turn into one in a few billion years. Typically, they only have hydrogen and helium in their upper atmosphere, making them mundane by the standards of stars \u2013 unless they happen to be tearing apart one of their planets.<\/p>\n Every once in a while, a white dwarf draws in one of the planets in its solar system, ripping the planet apart in the process. The planet\u2019s interior materials are then absorbed into the star\u2019s outer shell, making them \u201cpolluted\u201d with the heavy metals that typically comprise a planet\u2019s interior.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n