Related papers: Interior structure models of GJ 436b
Neptune-sized extrasolar planets that orbit relatively close to their host stars -- often called "hot Neptunes" -- are common within the known population of exoplanets and planetary candidates. Similar to our own Uranus and Neptune,…
The planet GJ 1214b is the second known super-Earth with a measured mass and radius. Orbiting a quiet M-star, it receives considerably less mass-loss driving X-ray and UV radiation than CoRoT-7b, so that the interior may be quite dissimilar…
The atmospheres of sub-Neptunes are expected to exhibit considerable chemical diversity, beyond what is anticipated for gas-giant exoplanets. In the current study, we construct self-consistent radiative transfer and equilibrium chemistry…
There are now many known exoplanets with Msin(i) within a factor of two of Neptune's, including the transiting planets GJ436b and HAT-P-11b. Planets in this mass-range are different from their more massive cousins in several ways that are…
Recent discoveries of water-rich, sub-Neptunian to Neptunian-massed exoplanets with short-period orbits present a new parameter space for the study of exoplanetary dynamos. We explore the geometry of the dynamo source region within this…
The hot Neptune orbiting around GJ 436 is a unique example of an intermediate mass planet. Its close-in orbit suggests that the planet has undergone migration and its study is fundamental to understanding planet formation and evolution. As…
The Neptune-mass GJ 436b is one of the most-studied transiting exoplanets with repeated measurements of both its thermal emission and transmission spectra. We build on previous studies to answer outstanding questions about this planet,…
The nearby extrasolar planet GJ 436b--which has been labelled as a 'hot Neptune'--reveals itself by the dimming of light as it crosses in front of and behind its parent star as seen from Earth. Respectively known as the primary transit and…
Several transiting super-Earths are expected to be discovered in the coming few years. While tools to model the interior structure of transiting planets exist, inferences about the composition are fraught with ambiguities. We present a…
Recent JWST observations of the sub-Neptune GJ 1214 b suggest that it hosts a high-metallicity (>100x solar), hazy atmosphere. Emission spectra of the planet show molecular absorption features, most likely due to atmospheric H2O. In light…
'Empirical' models (pressure vs. density) of Uranus and Neptune interiors constrained by the gravitational coefficients J_2, J_4, the planetary radii and masses, and Voyager solid-body rotation periods are presented. The empirical…
We explore the transmission spectrum of the Neptune-class exoplanet GJ 436b, including the possibility that its atmospheric opacity is dominated by a variety of non- equilibrium chemical products. We also validate our transmission code by…
Recent ground- and space-based surveys have shown that planets between Earth and Neptune in size, known as "super-Earths," are among the most frequently found planets in the Galaxy. Although the JWST era has provided high-quality…
The space environment in which planets are embedded depends mainly on the host star and impacts the evolution of the planetary atmosphere. The quiet M dwarf GJ 436 hosts a close-in hot Neptune which is known to feature a comet-like tail of…
We examine the uncertainties in current planetary models and we quantify their impact on the planet cooling histories and mass-radius relationships. These uncertainties include (i) the differences between the various equations of state used…
GJ436b is a unique member of the transiting extrasolar planet population being one of the smallest and least irradiated and possessing an eccentric orbit. Because of its size, mass and density, GJ436b could plausibly have an atmospheric…
Warm Neptune- and sub-Neptune-sized exoplanets in orbits smaller than Mercury's are thought to have experienced extensive atmospheric evolution. Here we propose that a potential outcome of this atmospheric evolution is the formation of…
Photo-evaporative mass loss sculpts the atmospheric evolution of tightly-orbiting sub-Neptune-mass exoplanets. To date, models of the mass loss from warm Neptunes have assumed that the atmospheric abundances remain constant throughout the…
Exoplanets orbiting close to their parent stars could lose some fraction of their atmospheres because of the extreme irradiation. Atmospheric mass loss primarily affects low-mass exoplanets, leading to suggest that hot rocky planets might…
Hot Neptunes in the sub-Jovian desert offer unique insights into planetary system evolution, retaining signatures of dynamical processes that shaped their present-day architectures. Many of these planets exhibit polar orbits, yet the…