Related papers: Pluto's lower atmosphere structure and methane abu…
Methane is thought to have been an important greenhouse gas during the Archean, although its potential warming has been found to be limited at high concentrations due to its high shortwave absorption. We use the Met Office Unified Model, a…
We present a radiative transfer analysis of latitudinally resolved H (1.487-1.783 micron) and K (2.028-2.364 micron) band spectra of Uranus, from which we infer the distributions of aerosols and methane in the planet's atmosphere. Data were…
We present a coupled reorientation and climate model, to understand how true polar wander (TPW) and atmospheric condensation worked together to create the Sputnik Planitia (SP) ice sheet and reorient it to its present-day location on Pluto.…
We report on the initial analysis of a Herschel/PACS full range spectrum of Neptune, covering the 51-220 micrometer range with a mean resolving power of ~ 3000, and complemented by a dedicated observation of CH4 at 120 micrometers. Numerous…
We estimate the fluxes of heat and antineutrinos due to primordial radioactivity within the moon. We use a radial density profile, specifying an inner core and a model-averaged crust. Thickness, density, and elevation of the lunar crust are…
Sub-Neptune planets, with no analogue in our solar system, provide a wealth of information about exoplanet diversity, formation & evolution, and habitability. Their robust characterisation requires the coupling of physically informed…
Sub-Neptunes (Rp~1.25-4 REarth) remain the most commonly detected exoplanets to date. However, it remains difficult for observations to tell whether these intermediate-sized exoplanets have surfaces and where their surfaces are located.…
We adapted a multi-species escape model, developed for close-in extrasolar planets, to calculate the escape rates of CH4 and N2 from Pluto. In the absence of escape, CH4 should overtake N2 as the dominant species below the exobase. The CH4…
Recent high-dispersion spectroscopy from ground-based telescopes and high-precision spectroscopy from space observatories have enabled atmospheric observations of substellar objects, such as brown dwarfs and hot gaseous exoplanets, with…
The search for habitable, Earth-like exoplanets faces major observational challenges due to their small size and faint signals. M-dwarf stars offer a promising avenue to detect and study smaller planets, especially sub-Neptunes-among the…
This paper refines model predictions for the production of methane from UV-irradiated interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) now that the Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) instrument onboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover…
JWST is here. The early release observation program (ERO) provides us with the first look at the scientific data and the spectral capabilities. One of the targets from ERO is HAT-P-18b, an inflated Saturn-mass planet with an equilibrium…
The temperature structure of Titan's upper atmosphere exhibits large variability resulting from numerous spatially and temporally irregular external energy sources, seasonal changes, and the influence of molecular species produced via…
The intense debate about the presence of methane in the Martian atmosphere has stimulated the study of methanogens adapted to terrestrial habitats that mimic Martian environments. We examinate the environmental conditions, energy sources…
This paper presents a combined 1D photochemical-thermochemical kinetics model of Jupiter's deeper atmosphere, troposphere and stratosphere. The model covers atmospheric pressure range from $1.1 \times 10^{3}$ bar to $7.4 \times 10^{-11}$…
We have performed a combined experimental and theoretical study of ethane and methane at high pressures up to 120 GPa at 300 K using x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy and the USPEX ab-initio evolutionary structural search algorithm,…
A quantitative understanding of the nature and composition of low-mass rocky (exo)planet atmospheres during their evolution is needed to interpret observations. The magma ocean stage of terrestrial- and sub-Neptune planets permits mass…
We have analysed the ISO-SWS spectrum of Jupiter in the 12-16 micron range, where several hydrocarbons exhibit rovibrational bands. Using temperature information from the methane and hydrogen emissions, we derive the mixing ratios (q) of…
The chemical composition of warm gas giant exoplanet atmospheres (with Teq < 1000 K) is not well known due to the lack of observational constraints. HAT-P-12 b is a warm, sub-Saturn-mass transiting exoplanet that is ideal for transmission…
Energy limits that delineate the `habitable zone' for exoplanets depend on a given exoplanet's net planetary albedo (or `Bond albedo'). We here demonstrate that the planetary albedo of an observed exoplanet is limited by the above-cloud…