Mass loss by atmospheric escape from extremely close-in planets

TL;DR

This paper investigates atmospheric escape mechanisms in extremely close-in exoplanets, identifying the transition point to Roche lobe overflow and analyzing differences between hot Jupiters and Neptunes through numerical simulations.

Contribution

It determines the conditions for Roche lobe overflow in close-in planets and provides detailed simulations highlighting differences in atmospheric properties between hot Jupiters and Neptunes.

Findings

Transition to Roche lobe overflow occurs at specific planetary radii and orbital periods.

Hot Neptunes have more extended atmospheres with lower ionization than hot Jupiters.

Simulations support the link between atmospheric properties and observed ultraviolet transit data.

Abstract

We explore atmospheric escape from close-in exoplanets with the highest mass loss rates. First, we locate the transition from stellar X-ray and UV-driven escape to rapid Roche lobe overflow, which occurs once the 10-100 nbar pressure level in the atmosphere reaches the Roche lobe. Planets enter this regime when the ratio of the substellar radius to the polar radius along the visible surface pressure level, that aligns with a surface of constant Roche potential, is X/Z~$\gtrsim$~1.2 for Jovian planets (Mp~$\gtrsim$~100 M$_{\Earth}$) and X/Z~$\gtrsim$~1.02 for sub-Jovian planets ($M_p \approx$~10--100 M$_{\Earth}$). Around a sun-like star, this regime applies to orbital periods of less than two days for planets with radii of about 3--14 R$_{\Earth}$. Our results agree with the properties of known transiting planets and can explain parts of the sub-Jovian desert in the population of known exoplanets. Second, we present detailed numerical simulations of atmospheric escape from a planet like Uranus or Neptune orbiting close to a sun-like star that support the results above and point to interesting qualitative differences between hot Jupiters and sub-Jovian planets. We find that hot Neptunes with solar metallicity hydrogen and helium envelopes have relatively more extended upper atmospheres than typical hot Jupiters, with a lower ionization fraction and higher abundances of escaping molecules. This is consistent with existing ultraviolet transit observations of warm Neptunes and it might provide a way to use future observations and models to distinguish solar metallicity atmospheres from higher metallicity atmospheres.