Sub-Neptunes with 2−3R⊕ are intermediate in size between rocky planets and Neptune-sized planets. The orbital properties and bulk compositions of transiting sub-Neptunes provide clues to the formation and evolution of […]
M dwarf stars provide us with an ideal opportunity to study nearby small planets. The HUMDRUM (HUnting for M Dwarf Rocky planets Using MAROON-X) survey uses the MAROON-X spectrograph, which […]
Investigations into habitability have provided ample opportunity for not only reflection as to its nature but also planetary evolution processes in general. Agreeing on a definition for habitability has proved […]
Hadean zircons provide a potential record of Earth’s earliest subduction 4.3 billion years ago. It remains enigmatic how subduction could be initiated so soon after the presumably Moon-forming giant impact […]
![Schematic depiction of the primary convection regimes observed or theorized on terrestrial planets in the Solar System. The three end-members, in this representation, are Plate Tectonics (PT), Stagnant Lid (SL) and Plutonic-Squishy Lid (PSL). Episodic Lid (EL) is an intermediate regime between PT and SL. While the current regimes of Earth, Mercury and Mars are well defined, Venus’ is still uncertain and could range from EL to PSL, or may have transitioned recently (a few 100s Myr) into SL. Mercury is in a later stage of SL compared to Mars because it has cooled down significantly faster. The state of the convection regimes of the planets should not be considered static. Instead, it evolves with time, and the figure can be interpreted as a snapshot of their presentday state. The axis are not fully independent and should be thought of as possible observables. The convection regime figures are adapted from [102]. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Interior-Controls-On-The.png?resize=1200%2C718&ssl=1)
No matter how fascinating and exotic other terrestrial planets are revealed to be, nothing generates more excitement than announcements regarding their habitability.
A major focus of the planetary science and astrobiology community is the understanding of planetary habitability, including the myriad factors that control the evolution and sustainability of temperate surface environments […]
The process of forming a circumbinary planet is thought to be intimately related to the structure of the nascent circumbinary disc. It has been shown that the structure of a […]
We have shown in a recent study, using 3D climate simulations, that dayside land cover has a substantial impact on the climate of a synchronously rotating temperate rocky planet such […]
Many sub-Neptune exoplanets have been believed to be composed of a thick hydrogen-dominated atmosphere and a high-temperature heavier-element-dominant core.
Large impacts onto young rocky planets may transform their compositions, creating highly reducing conditions at their surfaces and reintroducing highly siderophile metals to their mantles. Key to these processes is […]
