The characterization of Super-Earth-to-Neptune sized exoplanets relies heavily on our understanding of their formation and evolution.
sub-Neptune
![Cumulative XUV irradiation vs. planetary escape velocity for a range of rocky exoplanets (grey squares and colored circles) and solar system planets (blue stars). The cumulative lifetime XUV is thought to be the driving force behind planetary evaporation. Atmospheres can be found where gravity is high and solar irradiation is low. The light blue colored line represents the proposed โcosmic shorelineโ which follows a power law, IXUV โ vesc4 , following [15]. Rocky planets around M dwarfs can be studied with JWST to assess the validity of this shoreline. Plot adapted from [16]. -- astro-ph.EP](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Characterizing-Exoplanetary-Atmospheres.png?resize=1200%2C725&ssl=1)
Posted inAstrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Characterizing Exoplanetary Atmospheres: New Views on Exoplanet Composition and Chemistry
I review the major open science questions in exoplanet atmospheres. These are mainly focused in the areas of understanding atmospheric physics, the atmosphere as a window into other realms of […]
Posted inAstrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Gas Giants, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
TOI-4336 A b: A Temperate Sub-Neptune Ripe For Atmospheric Characterization In A Nearby Triple M-dwarf System
Small planets transiting bright nearby stars are essential to our understanding of the formation and evolution of exoplanetary systems. However, few constitute prime targets for atmospheric characterization, and even fewer […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Characterisation Of The TOI-421 Planetary System Using CHEOPS, TESS, and Archival Radial Velocity Data
The TOI-421 planetary system contains two sub-Neptune-type planets and is a prime target to study the formation and evolution of planets and their atmospheres.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
The Radius Distribution Of M dwarf-hosted Planets And Its Evolution
M dwarf stars are not only the most promising hosts for detection and characterization of small and potentially habitable planets, they provide leverage relative to solar-type stars to test models […]
Posted inAtmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
NLTE Modelling Of Water-rich Exoplanet Atmospheres. Cooling And Heating Rates
The hydrogen and water molecules respond very differently to the collisional-radiative processes taking place in planetary atmospheres. Naturally, the question arises whether H2O-rich atmospheres are more (or less) resilient to […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report, Stellar Cartography
A Fading Radius Valley Towards M-dwarfs, A Persistent Density Valley Across Stellar Types
The radius valley separating super-Earths from mini-Neptunes is a fundamental benchmark for theories of planet formation and evolution. Observations show that the location of the radius valley decreases with decreasing […]
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Gas Giants, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
JWST COMPASS: A NIRSpec/G395H Transmission Spectrum Of The Sub-Neptune TOI-836c
Planets between the sizes of Earth and Neptune are the most common in the Galaxy, bridging the gap between the terrestrial and giant planets in our Solar System.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report
Feasibility Of High-Resolution Transmission Spectroscopy For Low-Velocity Exoplanets
In recent years, high-resolution transmission spectroscopy in the near-infrared has led to detections of prominent molecules in several giant exoplanets on close-in orbits.
Posted inAstronomy & Telescopes, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography
High-resolution Spectroscopic Reconnaissance Of A Temperate Sub-Neptune
The study of temperate sub-Neptunes is the new frontier in exoplanetary science. A major development in the past year has been the first detection of carbon-bearing molecules in the atmosphere […]