Vaporization of the Earth: Application to Exoplanet Atmospheres

TL;DR

This paper models the vaporization-driven atmospheric composition of hot super-Earth exoplanets, identifying key gases and differences based on silicate mineral types to aid spectroscopic observations.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed chemical equilibrium calculations of vaporized atmospheres for super-Earths across a range of temperatures and pressures, considering different silicate compositions.

Findings

Major gases include H2O and CO2 across conditions.

High-temperature atmospheres contain Na, K, O2, SiO, and O.

Differences in atmospheric composition depend on silicate mineral type.

Abstract

Currently, there are about 3 dozen known super-Earth (M < 10 MEarth), of which 8 are transiting planets suitable for atmospheric follow-up observations. Some of the planets are exposed to extreme temperatures as they orbit close to their host stars, e.g., CoRot-7b, and all of these planets have equilibrium temperatures significantly hotter than the Earth. Such planets can develop atmospheres through (partial) vaporization of their crustal and/or mantle silicates. We investigated the chemical equilibrium composition of such heated systems from 500 - 4000 K and total pressures from 10-6 to 10+2 bars. The major gases are H2O and CO2 over broad temperature and pressure ranges, and Na, K, O2, SiO, and O at high temperatures and low pressures. We discuss the differences in atmospheric composition arising from vaporization of SiO2-rich (i.e., felsic) silicates (like Earth's continental crust) and MgO-, FeO-rich (i.e., mafic) silicates like the bulk silicate Earth. The computational results will be useful in planning spectroscopic studies of the atmospheres of Earth-like exoplanets.