Several planetary formation models have been proposed to explain the observed abundance and variety of compositions of super-Earths and mini-Neptunes.
Neptune
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 […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Neptune
Reflected Spectroscopy Of Small Exoplanets I: Determining The Atmospheric Composition Of sub-Neptunes Planets
Direct imaging of widely separated exoplanets from space will obtain their reflected light spectra and measure their atmospheric properties, and small and temperate planets will be the focus of the […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Neptune
Possibilities for an Aerial Biosphere in Temperate Sub Neptune-Sized Exoplanet Atmospheres
The search for signs of life through the detection of exoplanet atmosphere biosignature gases is gaining momentum. Yet, only a handful of rocky exoplanet atmospheres are suitable for observation with […]