X-ray And Extreme Ultraviolet Research Articles

Extreme-ultraviolet Radiation from A-stars: Implications for Ultra-hot Jupiters

Abstract Extremely irradiated, close-in planets to early-type stars might be prone to strong atmospheric escape. We review the literature showing that X-ray-to-optical measurements indicate that for intermediate-mass stars (IMSs) cooler than ≈8250 K, the X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) fluxes are on average significantly higher than those of solar-like stars, while for hotter IMSs, because of the lack of surface convection, it is the opposite. We construct spectral energy distributions for prototypical IMSs, comparing them to solar. The XUV fluxes relevant for upper-planet atmospheric heating are highest for the cooler IMSs and lowest for the hotter IMSs, while the ultraviolet (UV) fluxes increase with increasing stellar temperature. We quantify the influence of this characteristic of the stellar fluxes on the mass loss of close-in planets by simulating the atmospheres of planets orbiting EUV-bright (WASP-33) and EUV-faint (KELT-9) A-type stars. For KELT-9b, we find that atmospheric expansion caused by heating due to absorption of the stellar UV and optical light drives mass-loss rates of ≈1011 g s−1, while heating caused by absorption of the stellar XUV radiation leads to mass-loss rates of ≈1010 g s−1, thus underestimating mass loss. For WASP-33b, the high XUV stellar fluxes lead to mass-loss rates of ≈1011 g s−1. Even higher mass-loss rates are possible for less massive planets orbiting EUV-bright IMSs. We argue that it is the weak XUV stellar emission, combined with a relatively high planetary mass, which limit planetary mass-loss rates, to allow the prolonged existence of KELT-9-like systems.

Grid of upper atmosphere models for 1–40 M⊕ planets: application to CoRoT-7 b and HD 219134 b,c

There is growing observational and theoretical evidence suggesting that atmospheric escape is a key driver of planetary evolution. Commonly, planetary evolution models employ simple analytic formulae (e.g. energy limited escape) that are often inaccurate, and more detailed physical models of atmospheric loss usually only give snapshots of an atmosphere’s structure and are difficult to use for evolutionary studies. To overcome this problem, we have upgraded and employed an existing upper atmosphere hydrodynamic code to produce a large grid of about 7000 models covering planets with masses 1–39 M⊕ with hydrogen-dominated atmospheres and orbiting late-type stars. The modelled planets have equilibrium temperatures ranging between 300 and 2000 K. For each considered stellar mass, we account for three different values of the high-energy stellar flux (i.e. low, moderate, and high activity). For each computed model, we derived the atmospheric temperature, number density, bulk velocity, X-ray and EUV (XUV) volume heating rates, and abundance of the considered species as a function of distance from the planetary centre. From these quantities, we estimate the positions of the maximum dissociation and ionisation, the mass-loss rate, and the effective radius of the XUV absorption. We show that our results are in good agreement with previously published studies employing similar codes. We further present an interpolation routine capable to extract the modelling output parameters for any planet lying within the grid boundaries. We used the grid to identify the connection between the system parameters and the resulting atmospheric properties. We finally applied the grid and the interpolation routine to estimate atmospheric evolutionary tracks for the close-in, high-density planets CoRoT-7 b and HD 219134 b,c. Assuming that the planets ever accreted primary, hydrogen-dominated atmospheres, we find that the three planets must have lost them within a few Myr.

Characteristics of soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) emission from laser-produced highly charged rhodium ions

We have characterized the soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) emission of rhodium (Rh) plasmas produced using dual pulse irradiation by 150-ps or 6-ns pre-pulses, followed by a 150-ps main pulse. We have studied the emission enhancement dependence on the inter-pulse time separation and found it to be very significant for time separations less than 10 ns between the two laser pulses when using 6-ns pre-pulses. The behavior using a 150-ps pre-pulse was consistent with such plasmas displaying only weak self-absorption effects in the expanding plasma. The results demonstrate the advantage of using dual pulse irradiation to produce the brighter plasmas required for XUV applications.

The habitability of the Milky Way during the active phase of its central supermassive black hole

During the peak of their accretion phase, supermassive black holes in galactic cores are known to emit very high levels of ionizing radiation, becoming visible over intergalactic distances as quasars or active galactic nuclei (AGN). Here, we quantify the extent to which the activity of the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, known as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), may have affected the habitability of Earth-like planets in our Galaxy. We focus on the amount of atmospheric loss and on the possible biological damage suffered by planets exposed to X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation produced during the peak of the active phase of Sgr A*. We find that terrestrial planets could lose a total atmospheric mass comparable to that of present day Earth even at large distances (~1 kiloparsec) from the galactic center. Furthermore, we find that the direct biological damage caused by Sgr A* to surface life on planets not properly screened by an atmosphere was probably significant during the AGN phase, possibly hindering the development of complex life within a few kiloparsecs from the galactic center.

Hydrodynamic Escape of Hot Protoatmospheres During a Star's X-ray and Extreme Ultraviolet Saturation May Limit Rocky Exoplanets to ~1.8 Earth Radii.

Recent observations and analysis of low mass (<10 M ⊕ ), exoplanets have found that rocky planets only have radii up to 1.5-2 R ⊕ . Two general hypotheses exist for the cause of the dichotomy between rocky and gas-enveloped planets (or possible water worlds): either low mass planets do not necessarily form thick atmospheres of a few wt. %, or the thick atmospheres on these planets easily escape driven by x-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) emissions from young parent stars. Here we show that a cutoff between rocky and gas-enveloped planets due to hydrodynamic escape is most likely to occur at a mean radius of 1.76±0.38 (2σ) R ⊕ around Sun-like stars. We examine the limit in rocky planet radii predicted by hydrodynamic escape across a wide range of possible model inputs using 10,000 parameter combinations drawn randomly from plausible parameter ranges. We find a cutoff between rocky and gas-enveloped planets that agrees with the observed cutoff. The large cross-section available for XUV absorption in the extremely distended primitive atmospheres of low mass planets results in complete loss of atmospheres during the ~100 Myr phase of stellar XUV saturation. In contrast, more massive planets have less distended atmospheres and less escape, and so retain thick atmospheres through XUV saturation and then indefinitely as the XUV and escape fluxes drop over time. The agreement between our model and exoplanet data leads us to conclude that hydrodynamic escape plausibly explains the observed upper limit on rocky planet size and few planets (a "valley") in the 1.5-2 R ⊕ range.

How Hospitable Are Space Weather Affected Habitable Zones? The Role of Ion Escape

Abstract Atmospheres of exoplanets in the habitable zones around active young G-K-M stars are subject to extreme X-ray and EUV (XUV) fluxes from their host stars that can initiate atmospheric erosion. Atmospheric loss affects exoplanetary habitability in terms of surface water inventory, atmospheric pressure, the efficiency of greenhouse warming, and the dosage of the UV surface irradiation. Thermal escape models suggest that exoplanetary atmospheres around active K-M stars should undergo massive hydrogen escape, while heavier species including oxygen will accumulate forming an oxidizing atmosphere. Here, we show that non-thermal oxygen ion escape could be as important as thermal, hydrodynamic H escape in removing the constituents of water from exoplanetary atmospheres under supersolar XUV irradiation. Our models suggest that the atmospheres of a significant fraction of Earth-like exoplanets around M dwarfs and active K stars exposed to high XUV fluxes will incur a significant atmospheric loss rate of oxygen and nitrogen, which will make them uninhabitable within a few tens to hundreds of Myr, given a low replenishment rate from volcanism or cometary bombardment. Our non-thermal escape models have important implications for the habitability of the Proxima Centauri’s terrestrial planet.

DR-induced escape of O and C from early Mars

Energetic particles produced in Dissociative recombination (DR) reactions could escape planets with low gravity, such as Mars, if they could overcome collisions with the surrounding background gases. In this work, a 3-D Monte Carlo model is developed to study these photochemical escape processes on early Mars. Although the DR reaction rates of O2+, CO2+, and CO+ increase monotonically with solar soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) flux, the peak of the calculated DR-induced escape rates of O is near 3 ×XUV, and the DR-induced escape rates of C increase with XUV until 10 ×XUV. The non-monotonic behavior can be explained by the increased column densities of background species in high XUV conditions, which can deflect energetic particles through collisions more efficiently. At 20 ×XUV, CO+ DR is the main source of escaping O and C, and the escape of secondary particles could contribute to 30∼40% and 10% of the total escape of O and C respectively. The time-integrated DR-induced escape of O and C is equivalent to 1m of H2O and 20 mbar of CO2 escaping early Mars since 4.5 billion years ago. The accumulated CO2 loss is much lower than what's needed to explain the carbon isotopic ratios on Mars and much lower than the total CO2 needed to warm up early Mars. If more vigorous escape mechanisms were absent on early Mars, substantial inventories of volatiles have not been detected yet.

Analysis of unresolved transition arrays in XUV spectral region from highly charged lead ions produced by subnanosecond laser pulse

Soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) spectra from lead (Pb, Z=82) laser-produced plasmas (LPPs) were measured in the 1.0–7.0nm wavelength region employing a 150-ps, 1064-nm Nd:YAG laser with focused power densities in the range from 3.1×1013W/cm2 to 1.4×1014W/cm2. The flexible atomic code (FAC) and the Cowan's suite of atomic structure codes were applied to compute and explain the radiation properties of the lead spectra observed. The most prominent structure in the spectra is a broad double peak, which is produced by Δn=0, n=4–4 and Δn=1, n=4–5 transition arrays emitted from highly charged lead ions. The emission characteristics of Δn=1, n=4–5 transitions were investigated by the use of the unresolved transition arrays (UTAs) model. Numerous new spectral features generated by Δn=1, n=4–5 transitions in ions from Pb21+ to Pb45+ are discerned with the aid of the results from present computations as well as consideration of previous theoretical predictions and experimental data.

Reconstructing the high-energy irradiation of the evaporating hot Jupiter HD 209458b

The atmosphere of the exoplanet HD 209458b is undergoing sustained mass loss, believed to be caused by X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) irradiation from its star. The majority of this flux is not directly observable due to interstellar absorption, but is required in order to correctly model the photo-evaporation of the planet and photo-ionisation of the outflow. We present a recovered high energy spectrum for HD\,209458 using a Differential Emission Measure (DEM) retrieval technique. We construct a model of the stellar corona and transition region for temperatures between 10$^{4.1}$ and 10$^{8}$ K which is constrained jointly by ultraviolet line strengths measured with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and X-ray flux measurements from XMM-Newton. The total hydrogen ionising luminosity ($\lambda < 912$ \AA) is found to be 10$^{28.26}$ erg s$^{-1}$, which is similar to the value for the mean activity level of the Sun. This luminosity is incompatible with energy limited mass loss rates estimated from the same COS dataset, even the lower bound requires an uncomfortably high energetic efficiency of >40%. However, our luminosity is compatible with early estimates of the mass loss rate of HD 209458b based on results from the HST Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). Precisely reconstructed XUV irradiation is a key input to determining mass loss rates and efficiencies for exoplanet atmospheres.

Impurity Emission Behavior in the Soft X-Ray and Extreme Ultraviolet Range on EAST**supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 11175208, 11275231 and 11305207), the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program of China (Nos. 2012GB101001 and 2013GB112004), Scientific Instrument Development Project of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. YZ200922) and JSPS-NRF-NSFC A3 Foresight Program in the Field of Plasma Physics

Spectroscopy in the soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XEUV) region is very important in magnetic fusion research. Recently, two flat-field spectrometers that utilize a varied line spacing grating to image the spectra of 1-13 nm and 5-50 nm were installed on EAST for core impurity emission monitoring and impurity transport study. The instruments were proven to be capable of observing spectral lines from low-Z impurities (Li, C, O, N, Ar, etc.) and highly ionized medium- and high-Z impurities (Fe, Cr, Ni, Cu, Mo, etc.). For example, spectra in the wavelength intervals of 1-2 nm and 5-13 nm contained strong metal lines, especially molybdenum lines during H-mode phases. Argon and nitrogen lines were also observed, which were injected for diagnostic purposes. Impurity lines were identified and compared to measurements on other magnetic fusion research devices. Detailed measurements of radial emission profiles from various impurity line emissions were also presented.

Extreme hydrodynamic atmospheric loss near the critical thermal escape regime

By considering martian-like planetary embryos inside the habitable zone of solar-like stars we study the behavior of the hydrodynamic atmospheric escape of hydrogen for small values of the Jeans escape parameter $\beta < 3$, near the base of the thermosphere, that is defined as a ratio of the gravitational and thermal energy. Our study is based on a 1-D hydrodynamic upper atmosphere model that calculates the volume heating rate in a hydrogen dominated thermosphere due to the absorption of the stellar soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) flux. We find that when the $\beta$ value near the mesopause/homopause level exceeds a critical value of $\sim$2.5, there exists a steady hydrodynamic solution with a smooth transition from subsonic to supersonic flow. For a fixed XUV flux, the escape rate of the upper atmosphere is an increasing function of the temperature at the lower boundary. Our model results indicate a crucial enhancement of the atmospheric escape rate, when the Jeans escape parameter $\beta$ decreases to this critical value. When $\beta$ becomes $\leq$2.5, there is no stationary hydrodynamic transition from subsonic to supersonic flow. This is the case of a fast non-stationary atmospheric expansion that results in extreme thermal atmospheric escape rates.

MASS-LOSS EVOLUTION OF CLOSE-IN EXOPLANETS: EVAPORATION OF HOT JUPITERS AND THE EFFECT ON POPULATION

During their evolution, short-period exoplanets may lose envelope mass through atmospheric escape owing to intense XUV (X-ray and extreme ultraviolet) radiation from their host stars. Roche-lobe overflow induced by orbital evolution or intense atmospheric escape can also contribute to mass loss. To study the effects of mass loss on inner planet populations, we calculate the evolution of hot Jupiters considering mass loss of their envelopes and thermal contraction. Mass loss is assumed to occur through XUV-driven atmospheric escape and the following Roche-lobe overflow. The runaway effect of mass loss results in a dichotomy of populations: hot Jupiters that retain their envelopes and super Earths whose envelopes are completely lost. Evolution primarily depends on the core masses of planets and only slightly on migration history. In hot Jupiters with small cores (~10 Earth masses), runaway atmospheric escape followed by Roche-lobe overflow may create sub-Jupiter deserts, as observed in both mass and radius distributions of planetary populations. Comparing our results with formation scenarios and observed exoplanets populations, we propose that populations of closely orbiting exoplanets are formed by capturing of planets at/inside the inner edges of protoplanetary disks and subsequent evaporation of sub-Jupiters.

Escape of the martian protoatmosphere and initial water inventory

Latest research in planet formation indicates that Mars formed within a few million years (Myr) and remained as a planetary embryo that never grew to a more massive planet. It can also be expected from dynamical models that most of Mars' building blocks consisted of material that formed in orbital locations just beyond the ice line which could have contained ~0.1–0.2wt.% of H2O. By using these constraints, we estimate the nebula-captured and catastrophically outgassed volatile contents during the solidification of Mars' magma ocean and apply a hydrodynamic upper atmosphere model for the study of the soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) driven thermal escape of the martian protoatmosphere during the early active epoch of the young Sun. The amount of gas that has been captured from the protoplanetary disk into the planetary atmosphere is calculated by solving the hydrostatic structure equations in the protoplanetary nebula. Depending on nebular properties such as the dust grain depletion factor, planetesimal accretion rates and luminosities, hydrogen envelopes with masses ≥3×1019g to ≤6.5×1022g could have been captured from the nebula around early Mars. Depending on the before mentioned parameters, due to the planets low gravity and a solar XUV flux that was ~100 times stronger compared to the present value, our results indicate that early Mars would have lost its nebular captured hydrogen envelope after the nebula gas evaporated, during a fast period of ~0.1–7.5Myr. After the solidification of early Mars' magma ocean, catastrophically outgassed volatiles with the amount of ~50–250bar H2O and ~10–55bar CO2 could have been lost during ~0.4–12Myr, if the impact related energy flux of large planetesimals and small embryos to the planet's surface lasted long enough, that the steam atmosphere could have been prevented from condensing. If this was not the case, then our results suggest that the timescales for H2O condensation and ocean formation may have been shorter compared to the atmosphere evaporation timescale, so that one can speculate that sporadically periods, where some amount of liquid water may have been present on the planet's surface. However, depending on the amount of the outgassed volatiles, because of impacts and the high XUV-driven atmospheric escape rates, such sporadically wet surface conditions may have also not lasted much longer than ~0.4–12Myr. After the loss of the captured hydrogen envelope and outgassed volatiles during the first 100Myr period of the young Sun, a warmer and probably wetter period may have evolved by a combination of volcanic outgassing and impact delivered volatiles ~4.0±0.2Gyr ago, when the solar XUV flux decreased to values that have been <10 times that of today's Sun.

Spatially-resolved flat-field soft X-ray spectrometer on experimental advanced superconducting tokamak

A space- and time-resolved flat-field soft X-ray spectrometer with the wavelength range of 1–13nm has been developed to study impurity behavior on the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). Using an entrance slit, a varied line spacing grating (2400grooves/mm at the grating center), and a charged coupled device (CCD) system, time evolution of profiles of impurity line emissions were recorded. The spectral resolution of the spectrometer is 0.006nm at 5nm when the width of entrance slit is set at 0.03mm. The best spatial resolution obtained is 24.5mm with the height of slit at 1.0mm. The spectrometer is placed 8000mm away from the plasma center and the observed spatial range covers 0–450mm from the equatorial plane of EAST. The first experimental results were obtained from the recent EAST campaign. The system was shown to be capable of observing spectral lines from both intrinsic low-Z impurities (C, O, et al.) and highly ionized medium- and high-Z impurities (Fe, Cr, Ni, Cu, et al.). Spectral lines from the full wavelength range (1–13nm) can be obtained by moving the position of the CCD. Spectra with the wavelength intervals of 1–2nm show strong metal lines for H-mode discharges. Time evolutions of C VI (3.373nm) and O VIII (1.897nm) lines are presented and detail analysis is performed combining electron density intensity, Dα and soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation intensities. Evolutions of profiles of C VI (3.373nm) and O VIII (1.897nm) at core plasma were also shown, indicating that the spectrometer can be applied for impurity transport studies,

Implications of stellar activity for exoplanetary atmospheres

AbstractStellar X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation is an important driver of the escape of planetary atmospheres. Young stars emit high XUV fluxes that decrease as they age. Since the XUV emission of a young star can be orders of magnitude higher compared to an older one, this evolution has to be taken into account when studying the mass-loss history of a planet. The temporal decrease of activity is closely related to the operating magnetic dynamo, which depends on rotation and convection in Sun-like stars. Using a sample of nearby M dwarfs, we study the relations between age, rotation and activity and discuss the influence on planets orbiting these low-mass stars.

Mass loss from “Hot Jupiters”—Implications for CoRoT discoveries, Part II: Long time thermal atmospheric evaporation modeling

We investigate the efficiency of the atmospheric mass loss due to hydrodynamic blow-off over the lifetime of the exoplanet HD209458b by studying numerically its hydrogen wind for host star X-ray and EUV (XUV) fluxes between 1 and 100 times that of the present Sun. We apply a time-dependent numerical algorithm which is able to solve the system of hydrodynamic equations straight through the transonic point of the flow including Roche lobe effects. The mass loss rates are calculated as functions of the absorbed energy in the thermosphere. Depending on the heating efficiency for a hydrogen-rich thermosphere the maximum temperature obtained in our study at 1.5 R pl by neglecting IR cooling is about 5000–10,000 K for heating efficiencies of 10% and 60%, respectively. We find that the upper atmosphere of HD209458b experiences hydrodynamic blow-off even at such low temperatures if one does not neglect gravitational effects caused by the proximity of the planet to its Roche lobe boundary. Depending on the heating efficiency, we find from the solution of the hydrodynamic equations of mass, momentum, and energy balance that energy-limited mass loss rate estimations overestimate the realistic mass loss rate at present time for HD209458b by several times. Using the maximum heating efficiency for hydrogen–rich atmospheres of 60% we find that HD209458b may experience an atmospheric mass loss rate at present time of about 3.5 × 10 10 g s - 1 . The mass loss rate evolves to higher values for higher XUV fluxes expected during the early period of the planet's host star evolution, reaching values of several times 10 12 g s - 1 . The integrated mass loss is found to be between 1.8% and 4.4% of the present mass of HD209458b. We found that the influence of the stellar tidal forces on atmospheric loss (the Roche lobe effect) is not significant at 0.045 AU. For a similar exoplanet, but at closer orbital distances ⩽ 0.02 AU , the combined effect of the Roche lobe and the high XUV radiation result in much higher thermal loss rates of about 2.6 × 10 11 g s - 1 and even more for early stages. This leads to a total loss over 4 Gyr of 27.5% of the planetary mass.

A Comparative Study of the Influence of the Active Young Sun on the Early Atmospheres of Earth, Venus, and Mars

Because the solar radiation and particle environment plays a major role in all atmospheric processes such as ionization, dissociation, heating of the upper atmospheres, and thermal and non-thermal atmospheric loss processes, the long-time evolution of planetary atmospheres and their water inventories can only be understood within the context of the evolving Sun. We compare the effect of solar induced X-ray and EUV (XUV) heating on the upper atmospheres of Earth, Venus and Mars since the time when the Sun arrived at the Zero-Age-Main-Sequence (ZAMS) about 4.6 Gyr ago. We apply a diffusive-gravitational equilibrium and thermal balance model for studying heating of the early thermospheres by photodissociation and ionization processes, due to exothermic chemical reactions and cooling by IR-radiating molecules like CO2, NO, OH, etc. Our model simulations result in extended thermospheres for early Earth, Venus and Mars. The exospheric temperatures obtained for all the three planets during this time period lead to diffusion-limited hydrodynamic escape of atomic hydrogen and high Jeans’ escape rates for heavier species like H2, He, C, N, O, etc. The duration of this blow-off phase for atomic hydrogen depends essentially on the mixing ratios of CO2, N2 and H2O in the atmospheres and could last from ∼100 to several hundred million years. Furthermore, we study the efficiency of various non-thermal atmospheric loss processes on Venus and Mars and investigate the possible protecting effect of the early martian magnetosphere against solar wind induced ion pick up erosion. We find that the early martian magnetic field could decrease the ion-related non-thermal escape rates by a great amount. It is possible that non-magnetized early Mars could have lost its whole atmosphere due to the combined effect of its extended upper atmosphere and a dense solar wind plasma flow of the young Sun during about 200 Myr after the Sun arrived at the ZAMS. Depending on the solar wind parameters, our model simulations for early Venus show that ion pick up by strong solar wind from a non-magnetized planet could erode up to an equivalent amount of ∼250 bar of O+ ions during the first several hundred million years. This accumulated loss corresponds to an equivalent mass of ∼1 terrestrial ocean (TO (1 TO ∼1.39×1024 g or expressed as partial pressure, about 265 bar, which corresponds to ∼2900 m average depth)). Finally, we discuss and compare our findings with the results of preceding studies.

Atmospheric and water loss from early Venus

Previous interpretations of the Pioneer Venus mass spectrometer data of the deuterium to hydrogen ( D / H ) ratio of 1.9 × 10 - 2 or 120 ± 40 times the terrestrial value indicate that Venus may have had at least an H 2 O content of the order of about 0.3% of a terrestrial ocean (TO), and even much more during and shortly after the accretion period of ⩽ 300 Myr , depending on the unknown ratio of a continuous supply of H 2 O by comets to a hydrogen blow-off loss and impact erosion of the early atmosphere. In view of the low H 2 O abundance in the present atmosphere, several studies suggest that the planet should have lost most of its H 2 O during the early high X-ray, EUV and solar wind period of the active young Sun. Because oxygen did not accumulate in Venus’ atmosphere it is commonly believed that a part of the oxygen from dissociated H 2 O vapor was dragged off to space along with the escaping hydrogen during a blow-off period, or could have oxidized the surface minerals to produce FeO and Fe 2 O 3 to the depths of a few kilometers to tens of kilometers depending on the initial amount of H 2 O . We use in the present study, for the first time, multi-wavelength X-ray and EUV (XUV) observations by the ASCA, ROSAT, EUVE, FUSE and IUE satellites and stellar winds inferred from mass loss observations by the Hubble Space Telescope of solar proxies with ages < 4.6 Gyr for the investigation of how efficiently the radiation and particle environment of the young Sun could have influenced the evolution of the early Venusian atmosphere and its H 2 O inventory due to the removal of oxygen picked up by the solar wind. For modelling the Venusian thermosphere over the planetary history we apply a diffusive-gravitational equilibrium and thermal balance model and investigate the heating of the early thermosphere by photodissociation and ionization processes, due to exothermic chemical reactions and cooling by CO 2 IR emission in the 15 μ m band. Our model simulations result in expanded thermospheres with exobase levels between about 200 km at present and about 2200 km 4.5 Gyr ago. Moreover, our results yield high exospheric temperatures during the active phase of the young Sun even if we assume a “dry” CO 2 atmosphere with similar composition that is observed on present Venus of more than 8000 K after the Sun arrived at the zero-age-main-sequence (ZAMS). Exospheric temperatures above about 4000 K lead to diffusion-limited escape and high loss rates for atomic hydrogen. The duration of this blow-off phase for atomic hydrogen essentially depends on the mixing ratios of CO 2 , N 2 and H 2 O in the early Venusian atmosphere and could last between about 150 to several hundred Myr, which could result in a large thermal loss of hydrogen from Venus. For studying how much of the H 2 O -related oxygen could have been lost to space by the ion pick up process due to the stronger solar wind and higher XUV fluxes of the young Sun we used our modelled atmospheric density profiles and studied the loss of O + ion pick up from the upper atmosphere of Venus over the planet's history by applying a numerical test particle model. Depending on the used solar wind parameters, our model simulations show that ion pick up by a strong early solar wind on a non-magnetized Venus could erode during 4.6 Gyr more than about 250 bar of O + ions, that corresponds to an equivalent amount of one terrestrial ocean. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings for the formation of the Venusian atmosphere and discuss our results in the frame of previous studies.

The influence of the solar particle and radiation environment on Titan’s atmosphere evolution

Abstract Measurements of the 15N/14N isotope ratio in Titan’s atmosphere by Earth-based millimetric wavelength spectroscopic observations of HC15N/HC14N indicate that the bulk nitrogen may be enriched in the heavy isotope 15N by about 3.9–4.5 times relative to the terrestrial value. For the explanation of this isotope anomaly, one finds that the mass of Titan’s early atmosphere was at least 30 times larger than the present value. In our study we use recent astrophysical observations on radiative fluxes and stellar winds of solar-like stars with different ages as well as lunar and meteorite fossil records, which indicate that the early Sun underwent a highly active phase resulting in up to about 100 times higher X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation fluxes and much higher solar wind mass fluxes 100–500 Myr after it arrived at the zero-age-main-sequence. Because the evolution of Titan’s atmosphere can only be understood within the context of the evolving solar particle and radiation flux, we estimated the solar wind parameters and the XUV flux over Titan’s history. Our study indicate that Saturn’s magnetosphere, due to a higher solar wind pressure, was highly compressed during most of its lifetime to distances smaller than Titan’s orbital radius of about 20 Saturn radii. Because the early Sun had a much denser solar wind mass flux up to 1000 times higher than today, we estimate the ion pick up and sputter loss rates on early Titan in the order of about 1026 and 8 × 1028 s−1, respectively, and found that both non-thermal atmospheric loss processes can not explain the observed enrichment in 15N isotopes. Therefore, atmospheric loss during hydrodynamic conditions is investigated, since it can be shown that the exospheric temperature may have been above the “blow-off” temperature of molecular nitrogen of about 8000 K during the early evolutionary stages of Titan’s atmosphere. We found that due to the high XUV radiation input of the young Sun, Titan’s nitrogen atmosphere could have been expanded up to about 3 Titan radii and a massive atmospheric evaporation with N2 loss rates in the order of about 5 × 1030 s−1 may have occurred. The results of our study indicate that the 15N/14N isotope anomaly can be explained if Titan’s upper atmosphere experienced hydrodynamic conditions during a time period of about 50 Myr after the satellites origin. In situ measurements by the Gas Chromatograph and Mass Spectrometer (GCMS) instrument on board of ESA’s Huygens entry probe can be used as a confirmation of the Earth-based isotope anomaly observations and will be of great importance for understanding the formation and evolution of atmospheres around bodies in the solar system.

Atmospheric Loss of Exoplanets Resulting from Stellar X-Ray and Extreme-Ultraviolet Heating

Past studies addressing the thermal atmospheric escape of hydrogen from hot Jupiters have been based on the planet's effective temperature, which, as we show here, is not physically relevant for loss processes. In consequence, these studies led to significant underestimations of the atmospheric escape rate (≤103 g s-1) and to the conclusion of long-term atmospheric stability. From more realistic exospheric temperatures, determined from X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) irradiation and thermal conduction in the thermosphere, we find that energy-limited escape and atmospheric expansion arise, leading to much higher estimations for the loss rates (≈1012 g s-1). These fluxes are in good agreement with recent determinations for HD 209458b based on observations of its extended exosphere. We also show that for young solar-type stars, which emit stronger XUV fluxes, the inferred loss rates are significantly higher. Thus, hydrogen-rich giant exoplanets under such strong XUV irradiances may evaporate down to their core sizes or shrink to levels at which heavier atmospheric constituents may prevent hydrodynamic escape. These results could explain the apparent paucity of exoplanets so far detected at orbital distances less than 0.04 AU.