A water-rich interior in the temperate sub-Neptune K2-18 b revealed by JWST

TL;DR

This study uses JWST data to reveal K2-18 b's water-rich atmosphere, suggesting the presence of a liquid-water ocean beneath, and discusses implications for habitability and biosignature detection.

Contribution

First high-precision JWST transmission spectrum of K2-18 b confirming its water-rich nature and analyzing atmospheric composition with implications for habitability.

Findings

Detection of CH4 and CO2 with precise abundances

Absence of detectable H2O, NH3, or CO in the atmosphere

Potential formation of DMS and CH3SH in high-metallicity atmospheres

Abstract

Temperate sub-Neptunes are compelling targets for detecting liquid-water oceans beyond the Solar System. If water-rich and lacking massive hydrogen-helium envelopes, these planets could sustain liquid layers beneath their atmospheres despite sizes larger than Earth. Previous observations of the temperate sub-Neptune K2-18 b revealed an H2-dominated atmosphere rich in CH4, with moderate evidence for CO2 and tentative signs of dimethyl sulfide (DMS). Here we present four new JWST/NIRSpec transit observations of K2-18 b. The resulting high-precision transmission spectrum robustly detects both CH4 and CO2, precisely measuring their abundances and firmly establishing the planet's water-rich nature: either a thick envelope with >10% H2O by volume or a thin atmosphere above a liquid-water ocean. The spectrum reveals no detectable H2O, NH3, or CO. The absence of atmospheric water vapor suggests an efficient cold trap, while the nondetections of NH3 and CO support the scenario of a small H2-rich atmosphere overlying a liquid reservoir. However, alternative models that include these gases can also reproduce the spectrum within uncertainties, highlighting the need for deeper observations. The spectrum only contains marginal signals of DMS, methyl mercaptan (CH3SH), and nitrous oxide (N2O), with none exceeding 3 sigma in model preference and all falling below ~2 sigma without imposing a strong super-Rayleigh haze. Meanwhile, our self-consistent photochemical models show that DMS and CH3SH may form abiotically in massive H2-rich atmospheres of high metallicity, making it important to consider additional indicators for their potential use as biosignatures. K2-18 b, a cool, water-rich world, stands out as one of the most promising temperate sub-Neptunes for exploring the emergence of liquid-water environments in non-Earth-like planets, motivating further characterization of its atmosphere and interior.