Sensitivity of Dry Lava Planet Atmospheric Emission Spectra to Changes in Lava Compositions
Christiaan P. A. van Buchem, Rojita Buddhacharya, Mantas Zilinskas, Sebastian Zieba, Yamila Miguel, and Wim van Westrenen
TL;DR
This study explores how variations in lava compositions of dry rocky exoplanets affect their atmospheric emission spectra, aiming to identify observable features with future JWST observations.
Contribution
It introduces a self-consistent modeling approach linking lava compositions to atmospheric spectra, highlighting key spectral features influenced by oxide abundances.
Findings
TiO2 abundance affects atmospheric TiO and spectral features.
SiO and SiO2 levels influence emission features at higher melt contents.
Observable spectral differences could be detected with 12 JWST eclipse observations.
Abstract
The atmospheres of hot rocky exoplanets are among the first primary targets of the JWST. Interpreting their atmospheric spectra requires understanding the link between silicate lava compositions and overlying atmospheres. We investigate the sensitivity of simulated emission spectra of dry lava planets to variations in oxide abundances in silicate melt. Our goal is to determine which molten surface features could be distinguishable with future observations. We combine our vaporisation code with gas chemical equilibrium and radiative transfer codes to self-consistently compute atmospheric chemistry and thermal structure. Alongside varying lava compositions, we assess the impact of host star spectral type on emission spectra. TiO2 melt abundance dictates atmospheric TiO, which strongly influences surface temperature and emission spectra due to its short-wave opacity. This creates a…
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