Related papers: Reassessing Sub-Neptune Structure, Radii, and Ther…
The hydrogen and water molecules respond very differently to the collisional-radiative processes taking place in planetary atmospheres. Naturally, the question arises whether H2O-rich atmospheres are more (or less) resilient to long-term…
Low-mass low-density planets discovered by Kepler in the super-Earth mass regime typically have large radii for their inferred masses, implying the presence of H$_2$-He atmospheres. These planets are vulnerable to atmospheric mass loss due…
We have updated the PlanetS catalog of transiting planets with precise and robust mass and radius measurements and use this catalog to explore mass-radius (M-R) diagrams. On the one hand, we propose new M-R relationships to separate…
Volatile molecules containing hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen are key components of planetary atmospheres. In the pebble accretion model for rocky planet formation, these volatile species are accreted during the main planetary formation…
We used {\sl \textup{ab initio}} molecular dynamics simulations to calculate the high-pressure melting temperatures of the three potential core components. The planetary adiabats were obtained by solving the hydrostatic equations in a…
High-precision infrared spectroscopic measurements now enable detailed characterization of sub-Neptune atmospheres, potentially providing constraints on their interiors. Motivated by this, atmospheric models have been developed to explore…
The internal heat loss, or cooling, of a planet determines its structure and evolution. We study the effects of irradiation, metallicity of the atmosphere, heat redistribution, stratospheres, and the depth where the heat redistribution…
Direct and statistical observational evidences suggest that photoevaporation is important in eroding the atmosphere of sub-Neptune planets. We construct full hydrodynamic simulations, coupled with consistent thermochemistry and ray-tracing…
Sub-Neptune type exoplanets are abundant in our galaxy yet have no solar system analogs. They exist in a broad range of stellar forcing and rotational regimes that are distinctly different from solar system planets and more commonly studied…
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…
We are interested in the influence of cloudy atmospheres on the thermal radius evolution of warm exoplanets from an interior modelling perspective. By applying a physically motivated but simple parameterized cloud model, we obtain the…
Many planets in the solar system and across the galaxy have hydrogen-rich atmospheres overlying more heavy element-rich interiors with which they interact for billions of years. Atmosphere-interior interactions are thus crucial to…
Atmospheric convection behaves differently in hydrogen-rich atmospheres compared to higher mean molecular weight atmospheres due to compositional gradients of tracers. Previous 1D studies predict that when a condensible tracer exceeds a…
There are many factors that contribute to the breaking of the spherical symmetry of a neutron star. Most notably is rotation, magnetic fields, and/or accretion of matter from companion stars. All these phenomena influence the macroscopic…
Hydrogen, helium, silicates, and iron are key building blocks of rocky and gas-rich planets, yet their chemical interactions remain poorly constrained. Using first-principles molecular dynamics and thermodynamic integration, we quantify…
Recent observations have indicated a strong connection between compact ($a \lesssim 0.5$ au) super-Earth and mini-Neptune systems and their outer ($a \gtrsim$ a few au) giant planet companions. We study the dynamical evolution of such inner…
We employ planetary evolution modeling to reproduce the MR distribution of the 198 so far detected planets with mass and radius measured to the <45% and <15% level, respectively, and less massive than 108Me. We simultaneously account for…
Out of the more than 5,000 detected exoplanets a considerable number belongs to a category called 'mini-Neptunes'. Interior models of these planets suggest that they have some primordial, H-He dominated atmosphere. As this type of planet…
We present a population-level view of volatile gas species (H$_2$, He, H$_2$O, O$_2$, CO, CO$_2$, CH$_4$) distribution during the sub-Neptune to rocky planet transition, revealing in detail the dynamic nature of small planet atmospheric…
Many possible interior compositions exist for sub-Neptunes: ice-poor, ice-rich, and water-dominated interiors can all match the measured masses and radii. Motivated by recent theory of carbon-rich planet formation outside of the refractory…