We report the discoveries of low-mass free-floating planet (FFP) candidates from the analysis of 2006-2014 MOA-II Galactic bulge survey data.
Neptune
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Neptune, Status Report
Atmospheres As Windows Into Sub-Neptune Interiors: Coupled Chemistry And Structure Of Hydrogen-Silane-Water Envelopes
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 […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Neptune, Status Report
A Super-Earth And A Mini-Neptune Near The 2:1 MMR Straddling The Radius Valley Around The Nearby Mid-M Dwarf TOI-2096
Several planetary formation models have been proposed to explain the observed abundance and variety of compositions of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes.
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Neptune, Status Report
Atmospheric Chemistry of Secondary and Hybrid Atmospheres of Super Earths and Sub-Neptunes
The atmospheres of small exoplanets likely derive from a combination of geochemical outgassing and primordial gases left over from formation.
Posted inBiosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Neptune, Press Release
Revising Properties of Planet-host Binary Systems II: Apparent Near-Earth Analog Planets in Binaries Are Often Sub-Neptunes
Left: Planetary radius if the primary star is the planet host, plotted against the instellation flux for the planet. The open circles denote the Kepler values, while the closed circles […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Neptune
Can Carbon Fractionation Provide Evidence for Aerial Biospheres in the Atmospheres of Temperate Sub-Neptunes?
The search for signs of life on other worlds has largely focused on terrestrial planets. Recent work, however, argues that life could exist in the atmospheres of temperate sub-Neptunes. Here, […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Neptune
Water Vapor and Clouds on the Habitable-Zone Sub-Neptune Exoplanet K2-18b
Results from the Kepler mission indicate that the occurrence rate of small planets (
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Neptune
Atmospheric Dynamics Of Temperate Sub-Neptunes. Part I: Dry Dynamics
Sub-Neptunes (planets with radii between 2 and 4 R⊕) are abundant around M-dwarf stars, yet the atmospheric dynamics of these planets is relatively unexplored. In this paper, we aim to […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Neptune
TOI-712: A System Of Adolescent Mini-Neptunes Extending To The Habitable Zone
As an all-sky survey, NASA’s TESS mission is able to detect the brightest and rarest types of transiting planetary systems, including young planets that enable study of the evolutionary processes […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Neptune
Inferring Shallow Surfaces On sub-Neptune Exoplanets With JWST
Planets smaller than Neptune and larger than Earth make up the majority of the discovered exoplanets. Those with H2-rich atmospheres are prime targets for atmospheric characterization. The transition between the […]