2024-05-12 00:54:55
(Photo by Yunnan Observatory Affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences: Diagram of the mechanism of exit from the atmosphere of low-mass exoplanets)
KUNMING, May 11 (Xinhua) — A research paper published Thursday in the journal Nature Astronomy found that Chinese researchers have provided insight into the atmosphere escape process of low-mass exoplanets. In particular, a process called hydrodynamic disappearance. (hydrodynamic escape)
This research addresses several driving mechanisms that affect hydrodynamic escape. and presents a new classification method to understand the process of exit from the atmosphere of exoplanets. It refers to an exoplanet and is a popular subject of astronomical research.
The atmospheres of these exoplanets can escape the planet and enter space for a variety of reasons. One of them is hydrodynamic disappearance. This is the process by which the upper atmosphere completely disappears from the planet.
Researchers from Yunnan Observatory Affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences This process is said to be much more serious than the release of particles that occurs on the planets of the solar system. And hydrodynamic leakage can occur in the early stages of the solar system planets.
Guo Jianheng Researcher at Yun Nan Observatory Explain that if the Earth lost all of its atmosphere due to hydrodynamic leakage, At that time, the Earth could become a desert like Mars.
Even this violent release would never happen on a planet like Earth. But space and terrestrial telescopes still detect the hydrodynamic disappearance of certain exoplanets close to their host stars. This process not only changes the mass of the planet. But it also affects climate and habitability.
Moreover, before this study People relied on complex models to determine which physical mechanisms determine the hydrodynamic leakage of the planet. and the conclusions drawn are often vague.
Researchers have discovered that the hydrodynamic demise of low-mass exoplanets can be caused by one or more of these factors: the internal energy of the planet; The star’s tidal force or heat from the star’s extreme ultraviolet radiation.
The researchers said that by using basic physical indicators of stars and planets, such as mass, radius and orbital distance, it might be possible to distinguish the mechanism of hydrodynamic quenching of the atmosphere from that of low-mass planets.
The paper states that sufficient internal energy or high temperatures could cause the atmospheres of low-mass, large-radius planets to escape. The study found that the ratio of the internal energy to the potential energy of the planet can indicate the occurrence of the atmospheric leak mentioned above.
For a planet whose internal energy cannot cause its atmosphere to disappear, using the star’s tidal forces to change the ratio of internal energy to potential energy, the researchers were able to precisely determine the role of tidal forces and extreme ultraviolet radiation.
The results of this study are useful for understanding how planetary atmospheres change over time. It has the potential to be used to explore the evolution and origins of low-mass planets.
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