Superabundance of Exoplanet Sub-Neptunes Explained by Fugacity Crisis

Autor:	Kite, Edwin S., Fegley Jr., Bruce, Schaefer, Laura, Ford, Eric B.
Rok vydání:	2019
Předmět:	Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Physics - Geophysics
Druh dokumentu:	Working Paper
DOI:	10.3847/2041-8213/ab59d9
Popis:	Transiting planets with radii 2-3 $R_\bigoplus$ are much more numerous than larger planets. We propose that this drop-off is so abrupt because at $R$ $\sim$ 3 $R_\bigoplus$, base-of-atmosphere pressure is high enough for the atmosphere to readily dissolve into magma, and this sequestration acts as a strong brake on further growth. The viability of this idea is demonstrated using a simple model. Our results support extensive magma-atmosphere equilibration on sub-Neptunes, with numerous implications for sub-Neptune formation and atmospheric chemistry. Comment: Accepted by Astrophysical Journal Letters
Databáze:	arXiv
Externí odkaz:	http://arxiv.org/abs/1912.02701 Zobrazit plný text záznamu View this record from Arxiv