Overview
- JWST’s NIRSpec recorded four transits of TRAPPIST-1e and produced a faint methane feature that remains too weak for a firm detection.
- Photochemical modeling led by Sukrit Ranjan finds a methane-rich ‘exo-Titan’ scenario unlikely under current constraints and favors stellar contamination for the apparent signal, though an atmosphere is not ruled out.
- Separate modeling of six JWST-observed flares indicates TRAPPIST-1 flares occur frequently yet are weaker than expected, with electron beams roughly ten times less energetic than on similar stars.
- Frequent stellar activity complicates both transit spectroscopy and assessments of whether inner planets have retained atmospheres, keeping TRAPPIST-1e a key test case.
- Teams plan larger JWST campaigns, a dual-transit comparison of TRAPPIST-1e with likely airless TRAPPIST-1b, and observations with NASA’s Pandora mission to reduce star-induced uncertainty.