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Evolution of gas envelopes and outgassed atmospheres of rocky planets that formed via pebble accretion

Tomberg, Piia Maria and Johansen, Anders LU (2024) In Astronomy and Astrophysics 691.
Abstract

In this work, we present results of numerical simulations of the formation and early evolution of rocky planets through pebble accretion, with an emphasis on hydrogen envelope longevity and the composition of the outgassed atmosphere. We modelled planets with a range in mass from 0.1 to 5 Earth masses that orbit between 0.7 and 1.7 AU. The composition of the outgassed atmosphere was calculated with the partial pressure of free oxygen fit to geophysical models of magma ocean self-oxidation. The combined X-ray and UV (XUV) radiation-powered photoevaporation is considered as the main driver of atmospheric escape. We modelled planets that remain below the pebble isolation mass and hence accrete tenuous envelopes only. We considered slow,... (More)

In this work, we present results of numerical simulations of the formation and early evolution of rocky planets through pebble accretion, with an emphasis on hydrogen envelope longevity and the composition of the outgassed atmosphere. We modelled planets with a range in mass from 0.1 to 5 Earth masses that orbit between 0.7 and 1.7 AU. The composition of the outgassed atmosphere was calculated with the partial pressure of free oxygen fit to geophysical models of magma ocean self-oxidation. The combined X-ray and UV (XUV) radiation-powered photoevaporation is considered as the main driver of atmospheric escape. We modelled planets that remain below the pebble isolation mass and hence accrete tenuous envelopes only. We considered slow, medium, or fast initial stellar rotation for the temporal evolution of the XUV flux. The loss of the envelope is a key event that allows the magma ocean to crystallise and outgas its bulk volatiles. The atmospheric composition of the majority of our simulated planets is dominated by CO2. Our planets accrete a total of 11.6 Earth oceans of water, the majority of which enters the core. The hydrospheres of planets lighter than the Earth reach several times the mass of the Earth's modern oceans, while the hydrospheres of planets ranging from 1 to 3.5 Earth masses are comparable to those of our planet. However, planets of 4-5 Earth masses have smaller hydrospheres due to the trapping of volatiles in their massive mantles. Overall, our simulations demonstrate that hydrogen envelopes are easily lost from rocky planets and that this envelope loss triggers the most primordial partitioning of volatiles between the solid mantle and the atmosphere.

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author
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organization
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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Planets and satellites: Atmospheres, Planets and satellites: Formation, Planets and satellites: Terrestrial planets
in
Astronomy and Astrophysics
volume
691
article number
A183
publisher
EDP Sciences
external identifiers
  • scopus:85209649799
ISSN
0004-6361
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/202451114
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © The Authors 2024.
id
a51baa56-6694-40b8-9903-4a878d0a233d
date added to LUP
2025-01-15 10:53:01
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:35:17
@article{a51baa56-6694-40b8-9903-4a878d0a233d,
  abstract     = {{<p>In this work, we present results of numerical simulations of the formation and early evolution of rocky planets through pebble accretion, with an emphasis on hydrogen envelope longevity and the composition of the outgassed atmosphere. We modelled planets with a range in mass from 0.1 to 5 Earth masses that orbit between 0.7 and 1.7 AU. The composition of the outgassed atmosphere was calculated with the partial pressure of free oxygen fit to geophysical models of magma ocean self-oxidation. The combined X-ray and UV (XUV) radiation-powered photoevaporation is considered as the main driver of atmospheric escape. We modelled planets that remain below the pebble isolation mass and hence accrete tenuous envelopes only. We considered slow, medium, or fast initial stellar rotation for the temporal evolution of the XUV flux. The loss of the envelope is a key event that allows the magma ocean to crystallise and outgas its bulk volatiles. The atmospheric composition of the majority of our simulated planets is dominated by CO<sub>2</sub>. Our planets accrete a total of 11.6 Earth oceans of water, the majority of which enters the core. The hydrospheres of planets lighter than the Earth reach several times the mass of the Earth's modern oceans, while the hydrospheres of planets ranging from 1 to 3.5 Earth masses are comparable to those of our planet. However, planets of 4-5 Earth masses have smaller hydrospheres due to the trapping of volatiles in their massive mantles. Overall, our simulations demonstrate that hydrogen envelopes are easily lost from rocky planets and that this envelope loss triggers the most primordial partitioning of volatiles between the solid mantle and the atmosphere.</p>}},
  author       = {{Tomberg, Piia Maria and Johansen, Anders}},
  issn         = {{0004-6361}},
  keywords     = {{Planets and satellites: Atmospheres; Planets and satellites: Formation; Planets and satellites: Terrestrial planets}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  publisher    = {{EDP Sciences}},
  series       = {{Astronomy and Astrophysics}},
  title        = {{Evolution of gas envelopes and outgassed atmospheres of rocky planets that formed via pebble accretion}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202451114}},
  doi          = {{10.1051/0004-6361/202451114}},
  volume       = {{691}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}