Kunming, May 11, 2019 (Xinhua) — A research article from the Journal of Natural Astronomy revealed on Thursday that Chinese researchers have presented a view on the atmospheric escape process of low-mass exoplanets. In particular, a process called hydrodynamic disappearance. (hydrodynamic escape)
This paper addresses several driving mechanisms that affect hydrodynamic escape. Proposing a new classification method to understand the process of escaping the atmosphere of exoplanets. It refers to an exoplanet and is a popular topic in astronomical research.
The atmospheres of these exoplanets can escape the planet and enter space for several reasons. One of them is hydrodynamic disappearance. This is the process by which the upper atmosphere completely disappears from the planet.
Researchers from the Yunnan Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences say that this process is much more severe than the particle fallout that occurs on the planets of the solar system. Hydrodynamic escape may occur in the early stages of planets in the solar system.
Guo Jianheng, a researcher at Yunnan Observatory, explained that if the Earth lost its entire atmosphere through hydrodynamic escape, at that time, the Earth might become a barren wasteland like Mars.
Even such violent liberation would never happen on a planet like Earth. But space and ground-based telescopes are still detecting the hydrodynamic disappearance of some exoplanets close to their host stars. This process not only changes the mass of the planet. But it also affects climate and habitability.
By the way, before this study people relied on complex models to determine the physical mechanisms that drive the hydrodynamic escape of the planet. The conclusions reached are often ambiguous.
The researchers found that the hydrodynamic disappearance of low-mass exoplanets may be driven by one or a combination of these factors: the planet's internal energy; The tidal force of a star or the heat generated by the star's intense ultraviolet radiation.
By using basic physical parameters of stars and planets, such as mass, radius and orbital distance, it may be possible to distinguish the atmospheric hydrodynamic extinction mechanism from that of low-mass planets, the researchers said.
The paper suggests that sufficient internal energy or high temperatures may lead to atmospheric escape from planets with low masses and large radii. The study found that the ratio of the planet's internal energy to its potential energy may indicate the occurrence of the aforementioned atmospheric escape.
For a planet whose internal energy cannot cause its atmosphere to disappear, and by using tidal forces from the star to adjust the ratio of internal energy to potential energy, 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 evolve over time. It has the potential to be used to explore the evolution and origins of low-mass planets.
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