Role of serpentinization in the thermal and connected mineral evolution of planetesimals – evaluating possible consequences for exoplanetary systems

Góbi, Sándor; Keresztúri, A.

doi:10.1093/mnras/stw3223

Cited by 13 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…Based on meteorite samples, it is generally estimated that these aqueous changes occur on a short timescale of about 100 yr, at low temperatures, but above the melting temperature of H 2 O, supported by previous models (Dufresne & Anders 1962;Grimm & Mcsween 1989;Zolensky et al 1989). Góbi & Kereszturi (2017) pointed out the importance of interfacial water. This type of water can exist at temperatures below the melting point of bulk "classical" water as a microscopic liquid film along mineral-H 2 O interfaces at subzero temperatures, mainly due to van der Waals forces, enabling the serpentinization process to proceed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 60%

“…Our serpentinization model is based on Góbi & Kereszturi (2017), which is an improved serpentinization model from heat balance (Lowell & Rona 2002;Allen & Seyfried 2004) and dynamic models (Cohen & Coker 2000). Góbi & Kereszturi (2017) used a kinetic approach to estimate the rate of serpentinization and follow its evolution.…”

Section: Thermal Evolution Model Of Planetesimalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Serpentinization in the Thermal Evolution of Icy Kuiper Belt Objects in the Early Solar System

et al. 2022

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Here we present an improved algorithm to model the serpentinization process in planetesimals in the early solar system. Although it is hypothesized that serpentinization-like reactions played an important role in the thermal evolution of planetesimals, few and restricted models are available in this topic. These processes may be important, as the materials involved were abundant in these objects. Our model is based on the model by Góbi & Kereszturi and contains improvements in the consideration of heat capacities and lithospheric pressure and in the calculation of the amount of interfacial water. Comparison of our results with previous calculations shows that there are significant differences in, e.g., the serpentinization time—the time necessary to consume most of the reactants at specific initial conditions—or the amount of heat produced by this process. In a simple application we show that in icy bodies, under some realistic conditions, below the melting point of water ice, serpentinization reaction using interfacial water may be able to proceed and eventually push the local temperature above the melting point to start a “runaway” serpentinization. According to our calculations in objects with radii R ≳ 200 km, serpentinization might have quickly reformed nearly the whole interior of these bodies in the early solar system.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Section: Thermal Evolution Model Of Planetesimalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serpentinization in the Thermal Evolution of Icy Kuiper Belt Objects in the Early Solar System

et al. 2022

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“…Turning our attention to short-lived radionuclides, specifically aluminium-26, they are unlikely to affect habitability over Gyr timescales, irrespective of their initial inventory. However, a number of crucial short-term factors depend on its abundance such as differentiation and dehydration of planetesimals (Gilmour & Middleton 2009;Lichtenberg et al 2019), and melting ice to initiate serpentinization (Góbi & Kereszturi 2017). A number of metrics indicate that high levels of aluminium-26 are widespread in extrasolar systems, especially in young stars (Lugaro et al 2018).…”

Section: Biological Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Habitable Lifetime of Terrestrial Worlds with High Radionuclide Abundances

Lingam

Loeb

2020

ApJL

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The presence of a liquid solvent is widely regarded as an essential prerequisite for habitability. We investigate the conditions under which worlds outside the habitable zones of stars are capable of supporting liquid solvents on their surface over geologically significant timescales via combined radiogenic and primordial heat. Our analysis suggests that super-Earths with radionuclide abundances that are 10 3 times higher than Earth can host long-lived water oceans. In contrast, the requirements for long-lived ethane oceans, which have been explored in the context of alternative biochemistries, are less restrictive: relative radionuclide abundances of 10 2 could be sufficient. We find that this class of worlds might be detectable (10σ detection over ∼ 10 days integration time at 12.8 µm) in principle by the James Webb Space Telescope at distances of ∼ 10 pc if their ages are 1 Gyr.

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“…Aqueous and thermal alteration results in a mineralogical repertoire of about 250 different minerals. Phyllosilicates are especially important in this aspect, as their occurrence points to aqueous alteration [80], which might happen not only in large planets but also inside small planetesimals if a substantial heat source exists, like Al 26 or Fe 60 in the case of the Solar System [81]. These isotopes together with accretional heat-melted ice contribute to the weathering of silicates to clays, e.g.…”

Section: Early Planetary Mineralogymentioning

confidence: 99%

Ariel – a window to the origin of life on early earth?

et al. 2020

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Is there life beyond Earth? An ideal research program would first ascertain how life on Earth began and then use this as a blueprint for its existence elsewhere. But the origin of life on Earth is still not understood, what then could be the way forward? Upcoming observations of terrestrial exoplanets provide a unique opportunity for answering this fundamental question through the study of other planetary systems. If we are able to see how physical and chemical environments similar to the early Earth evolve we open a window into our own Hadean eon, despite all information from this time being long lost from our planet's geological record. A careful investigation of the chemistry expected on young exoplanets is therefore necessary, and the preparation of reference materials for spectroscopic observations is of paramount importance. In particular, the deduction of chemical markers identifying specific processes and features in exoplanetary environments, ideally "uniquely". For instance, prebiotic feedstock molecules, in the form of aerosols and vapours, could be observed in transmission spectra in the near future whilst their surface deposits could be observed from reflectance spectra. The same detection methods also promise to identify particular intermediates of chemical and physical processes known to be prebiotically plausible. Is Ariel truly able to open a window to the past and answer questions concerning the origin of life on our planet and the universe? In this paper, we discuss aspects of prebiotic chemistry that will help in formulating future observational and data interpretation strategies for the Ariel mission. This paper is intended to open a discussion and motivate future detailed laboratory studies of prebiotic processes on young exoplanets and their chemical signatures.

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Role of serpentinization in the thermal and connected mineral evolution of planetesimals – evaluating possible consequences for exoplanetary systems

Cited by 13 publications

References 57 publications

Serpentinization in the Thermal Evolution of Icy Kuiper Belt Objects in the Early Solar System

Serpentinization in the Thermal Evolution of Icy Kuiper Belt Objects in the Early Solar System

On the Habitable Lifetime of Terrestrial Worlds with High Radionuclide Abundances

Ariel – a window to the origin of life on early earth?

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