Conclusive Evidence for a Population of Water Worlds around M Dwarfs Remains Elusive
The population of small, close-in exoplanets is bifurcated into super-Earths and sub-Neptunes. We calculate physically motivated mass–radius relations for sub-Neptunes, with rocky cores and H/He-dominated atmospheres, accounting for their thermal evolution, irradiation, and mass loss. For planets ≲1...
Main Authors: | , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/acc86f |