Atmospheres as windows into sub-Neptune interiors: coupled chemistry and structure of hydrogen-silane-water envelopes

TL;DR

This study models the coupled chemistry and structure of hydrogen-silane-water atmospheres on sub-Neptune exoplanets, revealing significant endogenous water production and its impact on atmospheric convection and observability.

Contribution

It introduces a coupled chemical and structural model for sub-Neptune atmospheres, accounting for silane and water formation, which was not considered in prior models.

Findings

Silane and water can comprise up to 30% of the atmosphere by number.

Atmospheric chemistry inhibits convection at temperatures above 2500 K.

Endogenous water production occurs without ice-rich material accretion.

Abstract

Sub-Neptune exoplanets are commonly hypothesized to consist of a silicate-rich magma ocean topped by a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. Previous work studying the outgassing of silicate material has demonstrated that such atmosphere-interior interactions can affect the atmosphere's overall structure and extent. But these models only considered SiO in an atmosphere of hydrogen gas, without considering chemical reactions between them. Here we couple calculations of the chemical equilibrium between H, Si, and O species with an atmospheric structure model. We find that substantial amounts of silane, SiH$_4$, and water, H$_2$O, are produced by the interaction between the silicate-rich interior and hydrogen-rich atmosphere. These species extend high into the atmosphere, though their abundance is greatest at the hottest, deepest regions. For example, for a 4 $M_\oplus$ planet with an equilibrium temperature of 1000 K, a base temperature of 5000 K, and a 0.1 $M_\oplus$ hydrogen envelope, silicon species and water can comprise 30 percent of the atmosphere by number at the bottom of the atmosphere. Due to this abundance enhancement, we find that convection is inhibited at temperatures $\gtrsim 2500$ K. This temperature is lower, implying that the resultant non-convective region is thicker, than was found in previous models which did not account for atmospheric chemistry. Our findings show that significant endogenous water is produced by magma-hydrogen interactions alone, without the need to accrete ice-rich material. We discuss the observability of the signatures of atmosphere-interior interaction and directions for future work, including condensate lofting and more complex chemical networks.