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Title: Tidal heating in multilayered terrestrial exoplanets

Abstract

The internal pattern and overall magnitude of tidal heating for spin-synchronous terrestrial exoplanets from 1 to 2.5 R{sub E} is investigated using a propagator matrix method for a variety of layer structures. Particular attention is paid to ice-silicate hybrid super-Earths, where a significant ice mantle is modeled to rest atop an iron-silicate core, and may or may not contain a liquid water ocean. We find multilayer modeling often increases tidal dissipation relative to a homogeneous model, across multiple orbital periods, due to the ability to include smaller volume low viscosity regions, and the added flexure allowed by liquid layers. Gradations in parameters with depth are explored, such as allowed by the Preliminary Earth Reference Model. For ice-silicate hybrid worlds, dramatically greater dissipation is possible beyond the case of a silicate mantle only, allowing non-negligible tidal activity to extend to greater orbital periods than previously predicted. Surface patterns of tidal heating are found to potentially be useful for distinguishing internal structure. The influence of ice mantle depth and water ocean size and position are shown for a range of forcing frequencies. Rates of orbital circularization are found to be 10-100 times faster than standard predictions for Earth-analog planets when interiors aremore » moderately warmer than the modern Earth, as well as for a diverse range of ice-silicate hybrid super-Earths. Circularization rates are shown to be significantly longer for planets with layers equivalent to an ocean-free modern Earth, as well as for planets with high fractions of either ice or silicate melting.« less

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22356504
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 789; Journal Issue: 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; BERYLLIUM 10; EARTH PLANET; GLOBAL ASPECTS; HEATING; IRON SILICATES; MELTING; SATELLITES; SIMULATION; SPIN; VISCOSITY; WATER

Citation Formats

Henning, Wade G., and Hurford, Terry. Tidal heating in multilayered terrestrial exoplanets. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/789/1/30.
Henning, Wade G., & Hurford, Terry. Tidal heating in multilayered terrestrial exoplanets. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/789/1/30
Henning, Wade G., and Hurford, Terry. 2014. "Tidal heating in multilayered terrestrial exoplanets". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/789/1/30.
@article{osti_22356504,
title = {Tidal heating in multilayered terrestrial exoplanets},
author = {Henning, Wade G. and Hurford, Terry},
abstractNote = {The internal pattern and overall magnitude of tidal heating for spin-synchronous terrestrial exoplanets from 1 to 2.5 R{sub E} is investigated using a propagator matrix method for a variety of layer structures. Particular attention is paid to ice-silicate hybrid super-Earths, where a significant ice mantle is modeled to rest atop an iron-silicate core, and may or may not contain a liquid water ocean. We find multilayer modeling often increases tidal dissipation relative to a homogeneous model, across multiple orbital periods, due to the ability to include smaller volume low viscosity regions, and the added flexure allowed by liquid layers. Gradations in parameters with depth are explored, such as allowed by the Preliminary Earth Reference Model. For ice-silicate hybrid worlds, dramatically greater dissipation is possible beyond the case of a silicate mantle only, allowing non-negligible tidal activity to extend to greater orbital periods than previously predicted. Surface patterns of tidal heating are found to potentially be useful for distinguishing internal structure. The influence of ice mantle depth and water ocean size and position are shown for a range of forcing frequencies. Rates of orbital circularization are found to be 10-100 times faster than standard predictions for Earth-analog planets when interiors are moderately warmer than the modern Earth, as well as for a diverse range of ice-silicate hybrid super-Earths. Circularization rates are shown to be significantly longer for planets with layers equivalent to an ocean-free modern Earth, as well as for planets with high fractions of either ice or silicate melting.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/789/1/30},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22356504}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 1,
volume = 789,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}