"Unveiling the Mystery of Missing Exoplanets: Simulated Origins and Migrations"

Simulations suggest that the mysterious gap in the size distribution of super-Earths, known as the radius valley, may be explained by the migration of icy planets into the interior of planetary systems, forming thick water vapor atmospheres and making them appear larger, while smaller rocky planets lose their atmospheres, causing their measured radius to shrink. These findings, based on physical computer models, shed light on the formation and composition of planetary systems and could have implications for the search for potentially habitable exoplanets. Further observations with telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope and the Extremely Large Telescope could provide a test for these simulations.