Detailed Models of Super‐Earths: How Well Can We Infer Bulk Properties?

Valencia, Diana; Sasselov, Dimitar; O’Connell, Richard J.

doi:10.1086/519554

Cited by 309 publications

(317 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The star GJ 163 (HIP 19394, LHS 188) is an M3.5 dwarf (Hawley et al 1996), at a distance of 15.0 ± 0.4 pc (π = 66.69 ± 1.82 mas; van Leeuwen 2007), and is seen in the Doradus constellation (α = 04 h 09 m 16 s , δ = −53 • 22 23 ).…”

Section: The Properties Of Gj 163mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets

Bonfils

Curto

Correia

et al. 2013

A&A

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The meter-per-second precision achieved by today's velocimeters enables us to search for 1−10 M ⊕ planets in the habitable zone of cool stars. This paper reports on the detection of three planets orbiting GJ 163 (HIP 19394), a M3 dwarf monitored by our ESO/HARPS search for planets. We made use of the HARPS spectrograph to collect 150 radial velocities of GJ 163 over a period of eight years. We searched the radial-velocity time series for coherent signals and found five distinct periodic variabilities. We investigated the stellar activity and called into question the planetary interpretation for two signals. Before more data can be acquired we concluded that at least three planets are orbiting GJ 163. They have orbital periods of P b = 8.632 ± 0.002, P c = 25.63 ± 0.03, and P d = 604 ± 8 days and minimum masses m sin i = 10.6 ± 0.6, 6.8 ± 0.9, and 29 ± 3 M ⊕ , respectively. We hold our interpretations for the two additional signals with periods P (e) = 19.4 and P ( f ) = 108 days. The inner pair presents an orbital period ratio of 2.97, but a dynamical analysis of the system shows that it lays outside the 3:1 mean motion resonance. The planet GJ 163c, in particular, is a super-Earth with an equilibrium temperature of T eq = (302 ± 10)(1 − A) 1/4 K and may lie in the so-called habitable zone for albedo values (A = 0.34−0.89) moderately higher than that of Earth (A ⊕ = 0.2−0.3).

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Section: The Properties Of Gj 163mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(4)). For an Earth composition, planet c minimum mass converts to a radius of roughly 1.7 Rearth (Valencia et al 2007) and, for the same ∆t c , the evolution would take 10 Gyr instead of 1 Gyr. Even for smaller planetary sizes, that scenario would remain possible if ∆t c assumed higher values.…”

Section: Long-term Orbital Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets

Bonfils

Curto

Correia

et al. 2013

A&A

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“…D3-D4 are analytic fits to complex models and, hence, predict slightly different values for R p for a planet made of rock (f ice = 0 and f rock = 1). Valencia et al (2007) considered planets in the range 1-10 M Earth and parameterized the radius in terms of f ice (see also Valencia et al, 2010). They found The last relationship we review is that of Grasset et al (2009), who cast their model in terms only of f ice .…”

Section: Appendix D Radii Of Terrestrial Planetsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tidal Venuses: Triggering a Climate Catastrophe via Tidal Heating

et al. 2013

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Traditionally, stellar radiation has been the only heat source considered capable of determining global climate on long timescales. Here, we show that terrestrial exoplanets orbiting low-mass stars may be tidally heated at highenough levels to induce a runaway greenhouse for a long-enough duration for all the hydrogen to escape. Without hydrogen, the planet no longer has water and cannot support life. We call these planets ''Tidal Venuses'' and the phenomenon a ''tidal greenhouse.'' Tidal effects also circularize the orbit, which decreases tidal heating. Hence, some planets may form with large eccentricity, with its accompanying large tidal heating, and lose their water, but eventually settle into nearly circular orbits (i.e., with negligible tidal heating) in the habitable zone (HZ). However, these planets are not habitable, as past tidal heating desiccated them, and hence should not be ranked highly for detailed follow-up observations aimed at detecting biosignatures. We simulated the evolution of hypothetical planetary systems in a quasi-continuous parameter distribution and found that we could constrain the history of the system by statistical arguments. Planets orbiting stars with masses < 0.3 M Sun may be in danger of desiccation via tidal heating. We have applied these concepts to Gl 667C c, a *4.5 M Earth planet orbiting a 0.3 M Sun star at 0.12 AU. We found that it probably did not lose its water via tidal heating, as orbital stability is unlikely for the high eccentricities required for the tidal greenhouse. As the inner edge of the HZ is defined by the onset of a runaway or moist greenhouse powered by radiation, our results represent a fundamental revision to the HZ for noncircular orbits. In the appendices we review (a) the moist and runaway greenhouses, (b) hydrogen escape, (c) stellar mass-radius and mass-luminosity relations, (d) terrestrial planet mass-radius relations, and (e) linear tidal theories.

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“…Guillot et al 2005;Fortney et al 2007). Objects lighter than ten Earth masses are even more enigmatic, as they can be explained in different ways (Valencia et al 2006(Valencia et al , 2007Sotin et al 2007;Seager et al 2007;Adams et al 2008;Grasset et al 2009). …”

Section: Overviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres in our Galaxy

Tinetti

Encrenaz

Coustenis

2013

Astron Astrophys Rev

128

111

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About 20 years after the discovery of the first extrasolar planet, the number of planets known has grown by three orders of magnitude, and continues to increase at neck breaking pace. For most of these planets we have little information, except for the fact that they exist and possess an address in our Galaxy. For about one third of them, we know how much they weigh, their size and their orbital parameters. For less than 20, we start to have some clues about their atmospheric temperature and composition. How do we make progress from here?We are still far from the completion of a hypothetical Hertzsprung-Russell diagram for planets comparable to what we have for stars, and today we do not even know whether such classification will ever be possible or even meaningful for planetary objects. But one thing is clear: planetary parameters such as mass, radius and temperature alone do not explain the diversity revealed by current observations. The chemical composition of these planets is needed to trace back their formation history and evolution, as happened for the planets in our Solar System. As in situ measurements are and will remain off-limits for exoplanets, to study their chemical composition we will have to rely on remote sensing spectroscopic observations of their gaseous envelopes.

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Detailed Models of Super‐Earths: How Well Can We Infer Bulk Properties?

Cited by 309 publications

References 28 publications

The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets

The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets

Tidal Venuses: Triggering a Climate Catastrophe via Tidal Heating

Spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres in our Galaxy

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