The University of Georgia’s research team has created a novel technique to detect and classify extrasolar planets using machine learning, an advanced form of artificial intelligence (AI). They have successfully identified an extrasolar planet using this method.
The team’s study revealed that scanning protoplanetary discs, which are the gas and dust-filled regions surrounding young stars, enabled AI to identify the extrasolar planet’s presence with high accuracy. These findings mark the initial stages of utilizing machine learning to locate extrasolar planets that were previously overlooked.
In the words of the research’s lead author, Jason Terry, “We confirmed the planet using conventional methods, but our models drove us to do those simulations and showed us exactly where the planet would lie.”
