Context. The heating efficiency η hν is defined as the ratio of the net local gas-heating rate to the rate of stellar radiative energy absorption. It plays an important role in thermal-escape processes from the upper atmospheres of planets that are exposed to stellar soft X-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation (XUV). Aims. We model the thermal-escape-related heating efficiency η hν of the stellar XUV radiation in the hydrogen-dominated upper atmosphere of the extrasolar gas giant HD 209458b. The model result is then compared with previous thermal-hydrogen-escape studies, which assumed η hν values between 10-100%. Methods. The photolytic and electron impact processes in the thermosphere were studied by solving the kinetic Boltzmann equation and applying a Direct Simulation Monte Carlo model. We calculated the energy deposition rates of the stellar XUV flux and that of the accompanying primary photoelectrons that are caused by electron impact processes in the H 2 → H transition region in the upper atmosphere. Results. The heating by XUV radiation of hydrogen-dominated upper atmospheres does not reach higher values than 20% above the main thermosphere altitude, if the participation of photoelectron impact processes is included. Conclusions. Hydrogen-escape studies from exoplanets that assume η hν values that are ≥20% probably overestimate the thermal escape or mass-loss rates, while those who assumed values that are <20% produce more realistic atmospheric-escape rates.

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Despite the identification of a great number of Jupiter-like and Earth-like planets at close-in orbits, the number of "hot Neptunes" -the planets with 0.6-18 times of Neptune mass and orbital periods less than 3 days -turned out to be very small. The corresponding region in the mass-period distribution was assigned as the "shortperiod Neptunian desert". The common explanation of this fact is that the gaseous planet with few Neptune masses would not survive in the vicinity of host star due to intensive atmosphere outflow induced by heating from stellar radiation. To check this hypothesis we performed numerical simulations of atmosphere dynamics for a hot Neptune. We adopt the previously developed self-consistent 1D model of hydrogenhelium atmosphere with suprathermal electrons accounted. The mass-loss rates as a function of orbital distances and stellar ages are presented. We conclude that the desert of short-period Neptunes could not be entirely explained by evaporation of planet atmosphere caused by the radiation from a host star. For the less massive Neptune-like planet, the estimated upper limits of the mass loss may be consistent with the photo-evaporation scenario, while the heavier Neptune-like planets could not lose the significant mass through this mechanism. We also found the significant differences between our numerical results and widely used approximate estimates of the mass loss.

As a rule, the orbital velocities of "hot Jupiters," i.e., exoplanets with masses comparable to the mass of Jupiter and orbital semi-major axes less than 0.1 AU, are supersonic relative to the stellar wind, resulting in the formation of a bow shock. Gas-dynamical modeling shows that the gaseous envelopes around "hot Jupiters" can belong to two classes, depending on the position of the collision point. if the collision point is inside the Roche lobe of the planet, the envelopes have the almost spherical shapes of classical atmospheres, slightly distorted by the influence of the star and interactions with the stellar-wind gas; if the collision point is located outside the Roche lobe, outflows from the vicinity of the Lagrangian points L 1 and L 2 arise, and the envelope becomes substantially asymmetrical. The latter class of objects can also be divided into two types. If the dynamical pressure of the stellar-wind gas is high enough to stop the most powerful outflow from the vicinity of the inner Lagrangian point L 1 , a closed quasi-spherical envelope with a complex shape forms in the system. If the wind is unable to stop the outflow from L 1 , an open aspherical envelope forms. The possible existence of atmospheres of these three types is confirmed by 3D numerical modeling. Using the typical "hot Jupiter" HD 209458b as an example, it is shown that all three types of atmospheres could exist within the range of estimated parameters of this planet. Since different types of envelopes have different observational manifestations, determining the type of envelope in HD 209458b could apply additional constrains on the parameters of this exoplanet.

A self-consistent, aeronomic model of the upper atmosphere of a "hot Jupiter" including reactions involving suprathermal photoelectrons is presented. This model is used to compute the height profiles of the gas density, velocity, and temperature in the atmosphere of the exoplanet HD 209458b. It is shown that including suprathermal electrons when computing the heating and cooling functions reduces the mass loss rate of the atmosphere by a factor of five.

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