The Diffusion Limit of Photoevaporation in Primordial Planetary Atmospheres

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Modirrousta-Galian, Darius, Korenaga, Jun
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2024
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author Modirrousta-Galian, Darius
Korenaga, Jun
author_facet Modirrousta-Galian, Darius
Korenaga, Jun
contents Photoevaporation is thought to play an important role in the early planetary evolution. In this study, we investigate the diffusion limit of X-ray and ultraviolet induced photoevaporation in primordial atmospheres. We find that compositional fractionation resulting from mass loss is more significant than currently recognized because it is controlled by the conditions at the top of the atmosphere, where particle collisions are less frequent. Such fractionation at the top of the atmosphere develops a compositional gradient that extends downward. Mass outflow eventually reaches a steady state in which hydrogen loss is diffusion limited. We derive new analytic expressions for the diffusion-limited mass loss rate and the crossover mass.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2402_06933
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Diffusion Limit of Photoevaporation in Primordial Planetary Atmospheres
Modirrousta-Galian, Darius
Korenaga, Jun
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
Photoevaporation is thought to play an important role in the early planetary evolution. In this study, we investigate the diffusion limit of X-ray and ultraviolet induced photoevaporation in primordial atmospheres. We find that compositional fractionation resulting from mass loss is more significant than currently recognized because it is controlled by the conditions at the top of the atmosphere, where particle collisions are less frequent. Such fractionation at the top of the atmosphere develops a compositional gradient that extends downward. Mass outflow eventually reaches a steady state in which hydrogen loss is diffusion limited. We derive new analytic expressions for the diffusion-limited mass loss rate and the crossover mass.
title The Diffusion Limit of Photoevaporation in Primordial Planetary Atmospheres
topic Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.06933