Young planets under extreme UV irradiation. I. Upper atmosphere modelling of the young exoplanet K2-33b

TL;DR

This study models the upper atmosphere of the young exoplanet K2-33b, revealing how planetary mass and temperature influence atmospheric escape under intense UV radiation, providing insights into early planetary evolution.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed 1D hydrodynamic simulations of a young exoplanet's upper atmosphere considering a range of masses and temperatures, highlighting escape mechanisms.

Findings

Atmospheric escape rates are extremely high for planets below 7-10 M_E.

Planet's mass primarily controls temperature profiles in the atmosphere.

The planet is likely more massive than 10 M_E based on escape timescales.

Abstract

The K2-33 planetary system hosts one transiting ~5 R_E planet orbiting the young M-type host star. The planet's mass is still unknown, with an estimated upper limit of 5.4 M_J. The extreme youth of the system (<20 Myr) gives the unprecedented opportunity to study the earliest phases of planetary evolution, at a stage when the planet is exposed to an extremely high level of high-energy radiation emitted by the host star. We perform a series of 1D hydrodynamic simulations of the planet's upper atmosphere considering a range of possible planetary masses, from 2 to 40 M_E, and equilibrium temperatures, from 850 to 1300 K, to account for internal heating as a result of contraction. We obtain temperature profiles mostly controlled by the planet's mass, while the equilibrium temperature has a secondary effect. For planetary masses below 7-10 M_E, the atmosphere is subject to extremely high escape rates, driven by the planet's weak gravity and high thermal energy, which increase with decreasing mass and/or increasing temperature. For higher masses, the escape is instead driven by the absorption of the high-energy stellar radiation. A rough comparison of the timescales for complete atmospheric escape and age of the system indicates that the planet is more massive than 10 M_E.