Water Evolution and Inventories of Super-Earths Orbiting Late M Dwarfs

Abstract

Super-Earths orbiting M dwarf stars may be the most common habitable planets in the Universe. However, their habitability is threatened by intense irradiation from their host stars, which drives the escape of water to space and can lead to surface desiccation. We present simulation results of a box model incorporating deep-water cycling between interior and atmosphere and water loss to space for terrestrial planets of mass 1–8 M ⊕ orbiting in the habitable zone of a late M dwarf. Energy-limited loss decreases with planetary mass, while diffusion-limited loss increases with mass. Depending on where it orbits in the habitable zone, a 1 M ⊕ planet that starts with 3–8 Earth Oceans can end up with an Earthlike surface of oceans and exposed continents; for an 8 M ⊕ super-Earth, that range is 3–12 Earth Oceans. Planets initialized with more water end up as waterworlds with no exposed continents, while planets that start with less water have desiccated surfaces by 5 Gyr. Since the mantles of terrestrial planets can hold much more water than is currently present in Earth’s atmosphere, none of our simulations result in Dune planets—such planets may be less common than previously thought. Further, more water becomes sequestered within the mantle for larger planets. A super-Earth at the inner edge of the habitable zone tends to end up as either a waterworld or with a desiccated surface; only a narrow range of initial water inventory yields an Earthlike surface.