Interior–atmosphere modelling to assess the observability of rocky planets with JWST

Acuña, L.; Deleuil, M.; Mousis, O.

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202245736

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 83 publications

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“…The temperature at this pressure constitutes the boundary condition for our interior model, and it is calculated self-consistently by a k-correlated atmospheric model. Furthermore, the atmospheric thickness is calculated by the atmospheric model by integrating the hydrostatic equilibrium equation, and then added to the interior model's radius to obtain the total planetary radius (Acuña et al 2021(Acuña et al , 2023.…”

Section: Internal Structure Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

An unusually low-density super-Earth transiting the bright early-type M-dwarf GJ 1018 (TOI-244)

Castro-González¹,

Lillo-Box²,

Lavie³

et al. 2023

A&A

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Context. Small planets located at the lower mode of the bimodal radius distribution are generally assumed to be composed of iron and silicates in a proportion similar to that of the Earth. However, recent discoveries are revealing a new group of low-density planets that are inconsistent with that description. Aims. We intend to confirm and characterize the TESS planet candidate TOI-244.01, which orbits the bright (K = 7.97 mag), nearby (d = 22 pc), and early-type (M2.5 V) M-dwarf star GJ 1018 with an orbital period of 7.4 days. Methods. We used Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to model 57 precise radial velocity measurements acquired by the ESPRESSO spectrograph together with TESS photometry and complementary HARPS data. Our model includes a planetary component and Gaussian processes aimed at modeling the correlated stellar and instrumental noise. Results. We find TOI-244 b to be a super-Earth with a radius of Rp = 1.52 ± 0.12 R⊕ and a mass of Mp = 2.68 ± 0.30 M⊕. These values correspond to a density of ρ = 4.2 ± 1.1 g cm−3, which is below what would be expected for an Earth-like composition. We find that atmospheric loss processes may have been efficient to remove a potential primordial hydrogen envelope, but high mean molecular weight volatiles such as water could have been retained. Our internal structure modeling suggests that TOI-244 b has a 479−96+128 km thick hydrosphere over a 1.17 ± 0.09 R⊕ solid structure composed of a Fe-rich core and a silicate-dominated mantle compatible with that of the Earth. On a population level, we find two tentative trends in the density-metallicity and density-insolation parameter space for the low-density super-Earths, which may hint at their composition. Conclusions. With a 8% precision in radius and 12% precision in mass, TOI-244 b is among the most precisely characterized super-Earths, which, together with the likely presence of an extended hydrosphere, makes it a key target for atmospheric observations.

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Section: Internal Structure Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

An unusually low-density super-Earth transiting the bright early-type M-dwarf GJ 1018 (TOI-244)

Castro-González¹,

Lillo-Box²,

Lavie³

et al. 2023

A&A

Self Cite

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“…A recent example of planet characterisation by combining density measurements with further atmospheric data are TRAPPIST-1 b and c. Emission photometry of planet b shows a bare rock surface with apparently no atmosphere (Greene et al, 2023), while planet c discards a thick CO 2 atmosphere (Zieba et al, 2023). Acuña et al (2023) use these measurements to constrain the Fe-to-Si ratio of TRAPPIST-1 b based only on the density of the planet, without making assumptions on the composition of the star, by performing a retrieval on the mass and radius using a twolayer interior structure model. PLATO will provide a wealth of data to further follow such approaches to planet characterisation.…”

Section: Brief Summary Of State Of the Artmentioning

confidence: 99%

The PLATO Mission

Rauer

Aerts

Deleuil

et al. 2022

Preprint

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<p>PLATO (PLAnetary Transits and Oscillations of stars) is ESA&#8217;s M3 mission and designed to detect and characterize extrasolar planets by high-precision, long-term photometric and asteroseismic monitoring of a large number of stars. PLATO will detect small planets around bright stars, including terrestrial planets in the habitable zone of solar-like stars. With the complement of radial velocity observation from ground, planets will be characterized for their radius, mass, and age with high accuracy. PLATO will provide us the first large-scale catalogue of well-characterized small planets up to intermediate orbital periods, relevant for a meaningful comparison to planet formation theories and to better understand planet evolution. It will make possible comparative exoplanetology to place our solar system planets in a broader context. PLATO will study host stars using asteroseismology, allowing us to determine the stellar properties with high accuracy, substantially enhancing our knowledge of stellar structure and evolution.</p> <p>PLATO is scheduled for a launch date end 2026. Following the successful Critical Milestone Review, ESA has given green light for the implementation of the spacecraft and the payload, which includes the serial production of its 26 cameras. This presentation will give an overview of the PLATO science goals, of its instrument and mission profile status.</p>

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No thick carbon dioxide atmosphere on the rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 c

Zieba

Kreidberg

Ducrot

et al. 2023

Nature

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Seven rocky planets orbit the nearby dwarf star TRAPPIST-1, providing a unique opportunity to search for atmospheres on small planets outside the Solar System1. Thanks to the recent launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), possible atmospheric constituents such as carbon dioxide (CO2) are now detectable2,3. Recent JWST observations of the innermost planet TRAPPIST-1 b showed that it is most probably a bare rock without any CO2 in its atmosphere4. Here we report the detection of thermal emission from the dayside of TRAPPIST-1 c with the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on JWST at 15 µm. We measure a planet-to-star flux ratio of fp/f⁎ = 421 ± 94 parts per million (ppm), which corresponds to an inferred dayside brightness temperature of 380 ± 31 K. This high dayside temperature disfavours a thick, CO2-rich atmosphere on the planet. The data rule out cloud-free O2/CO2 mixtures with surface pressures ranging from 10 bar (with 10 ppm CO2) to 0.1 bar (pure CO2). A Venus-analogue atmosphere with sulfuric acid clouds is also disfavoured at 2.6σ confidence. Thinner atmospheres or bare-rock surfaces are consistent with our measured planet-to-star flux ratio. The absence of a thick, CO2-rich atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1 c suggests a relatively volatile-poor formation history, with less than $${9.5}_{-2.3}^{+7.5}$$ 9.5 − 2.3 + 7.5 Earth oceans of water. If all planets in the system formed in the same way, this would indicate a limited reservoir of volatiles for the potentially habitable planets in the system.

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Interior–atmosphere modelling to assess the observability of rocky planets with JWST

Cited by 7 publications

References 83 publications

An unusually low-density super-Earth transiting the bright early-type M-dwarf GJ 1018 (TOI-244)

An unusually low-density super-Earth transiting the bright early-type M-dwarf GJ 1018 (TOI-244)

The PLATO Mission

No thick carbon dioxide atmosphere on the rocky exoplanet TRAPPIST-1 c

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