Understanding the chemistry of temperate exoplanets atmospheres through experimental and numerical simulations

TL;DR

This study combines laboratory experiments and photochemical modeling to understand the chemical pathways in temperate exoplanet atmospheres, revealing how composition and out-of-equilibrium processes influence organic molecule formation.

Contribution

It introduces an integrated experimental and numerical approach to simulate and interpret atmospheric chemistry of temperate exoplanets, focusing on the effects of C/O ratio and metallicity.

Findings

Hydrocarbon formation correlates with methane concentration.

Oxidizing environments inhibit hydrocarbon synthesis.

Presence of oxygen enhances formation of prebiotic organic compounds.

Abstract

Characterizing temperate exoplanet atmospheres remains challenging due to their small size and low temperatures. Recent JWST observations provide valuable data, but their interpretation has led to diverging conclusions. Complementary approaches combining laboratory experiments and photochemical modeling are essential for constraining atmospheric chemistry and interpreting observations. We aim to identify chemical pathways governing the formation and evolution of neutral species and to assess their sensitivity to key parameters such as C/O ratio and metallicity. Our approach combines experimental and numerical simulations on H2-rich gas mixtures representative of sub-Neptune atmospheres, spanning a wide range of CH4, CO, and CO2 mixing ratios. A cold plasma reactor simulates out-of-equilibrium upper-atmospheric chemistry. A 0D photochemical model reproduces reactor conditions, guiding interpretation of key pathways and abundance trends. We observe the formation of both reduced and oxidized organic compounds. In CH4-rich mixtures, hydrocarbons form efficiently through methane chemistry, correlating with CH4 concentration and agreeing with models. In more oxidizing environments, particularly CO2-rich mixtures, hydrocarbon formation is inhibited by complex reaction networks and oxidative losses. Oxygen incorporation enhances chemical diversity and promotes formation of oxidized organic compounds of prebiotic interest (H2CO, CH3OH, CH3CHO), especially in atmospheres containing both CH4 and CO2. Atmospheres containing CH4 and CO, which balance carbon and oxygen supply without excessive oxidative destruction, favor efficient production of hydrocarbons and oxidized compounds. Out-of-equilibrium chemistry plays a key role in the diversification and organic complexification of temperate exoplanet atmospheres.