X-ray And Ultraviolet Research Articles

A Large and Variable Leading Tail of Helium in a Hot Saturn Undergoing Runaway Inflation

Atmospheric escape shapes the fate of exoplanets, with statistical evidence for transformative mass loss imprinted across the mass–radius–insolation distribution. Here, we present transit spectroscopy of the highly irradiated, low-gravity, inflated hot Saturn HAT-P-67 b. The Habitable Zone Planet Finder spectra show a detection of up to 10% absorption depth of the 10833 Å helium triplet. The 13.8 hr of on-sky integration time over 39 nights sample the entire planet orbit, uncovering excess helium absorption preceding the transit by up to 130 planetary radii in a large leading tail. This configuration can be understood as the escaping material overflowing its small Roche lobe and advecting most of the gas into the stellar—and not planetary—rest frame, consistent with the Doppler velocity structure seen in the helium line profiles. The prominent leading tail serves as direct evidence for dayside mass loss with a strong day-/nightside asymmetry. We see some transit-to-transit variability in the line profile, consistent with the interplay of stellar and planetary winds. We employ one-dimensional Parker wind models to estimate the mass-loss rate, finding values on the order of 2 × 1013 g s−1, with large uncertainties owing to the unknown X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) flux of the F host star. The large mass loss in HAT-P-67 b represents a valuable example of an inflated hot Saturn, a class of planets recently identified to be rare, as their atmospheres are predicted to evaporate quickly. We contrast two physical mechanisms for runaway evaporation: ohmic dissipation and XUV irradiation, slightly favoring the latter.

Outflowing Helium from a Mature Mini-Neptune

We announce the detection of escaping helium from TOI 2134b, a mini-Neptune a few gigayears old. The average in-transit absorption spectrum shows a peak of 0.37% ± 0.05% and an equivalent width of W avg = 3.3 ± 0.3 mÅ. Among all planets with helium detections, TOI 2134b is the only mature mini-Neptune, has the smallest helium signal, and experiences the lowest X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) flux. Putting TOI 2134b in the context of all other helium detections, we report the detection of a strong (p = 3.0 × 10−5) and theoretically expected correlation between F XUV/ρ XUV (proportional to the energy-limited mass-loss rate) and R * W avg (roughly proportional to the observationally inferred mass-loss rate). Here W avg is the equivalent width of the helium absorption, and ρ XUV is the density of the planet within the XUV photosphere, but the correlation is similarly strong if we use the optical photosphere. Having the lowest value on both axes, TOI 2134b anchors the relation. We encourage further observations to fill in the missing regions of this parameter space and improve estimates of F XUV.

Planetary evolution with atmospheric photoevaporation

Context. Observations have revealed in the Kepler data a depleted region separating smaller super-Earths from larger sub-Neptunes. This can be explained as an evaporation valley between planets with and without H/He that is caused by atmospheric escape. Aims. We want to analytically derive the valley’s locus and understand how it depends on planetary properties and stellar X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) luminosity. We also want to derive constraints for planet formation models. Methods. First, we conducted numerical simulations of the evolution of close-in low-mass planets with H/He undergoing escape. We performed parameter studies with grids in core mass and orbital separation, and we varied the postformation H/He mass, the strength of evaporation, and the atmospheric and core composition. Second, we developed an analytical model for the valley locus. Results. We find that the bottom of the valley quantified by the radius of the largest stripped core, Rbare, at a given orbital distance depends only weakly on postformation H/He mass. The reason is that a high initial H/He mass means that more gas needs to evaporate, but also that the planet density is lower, increasing mass loss. Regarding the stellar XUV-luminosity, Rbare is found to scale as LXUV0.135. The same weak dependency applies to the efficiency factor ε of energy-limited evaporation. As found numerically and analytically, Rbare varies a function of orbital period P for a constant ε as P−2pc∕3 ≈ P−0.18, where Mc ∝ Rcpc is the mass-radius relation of solid cores. We note that Rbare is about 1.7 R⊕ at a ten-day orbital period for an Earth-like composition. Conclusions. The numerical results are explained very well with the analytical model where complete evaporation occurs if the temporal integral over the stellar XUV irradiation that is absorbed by the planet is larger than the binding energy of the envelope in the gravitational potential of the core. The weak dependency on the postformation H/He means that the valley does not strongly constrain gas accretion during formation. But the weak dependency on primordial H/He mass, stellar LXUV, and ε could be the reason why the valley is so clearly visible observationally, and why various models find similar results theoretically. At the same time, given the large observed spread of LXUV, the dependency on it is still strong enough to explain why the valley is not completely empty.

A Coupled Analysis of Atmospheric Mass Loss and Tidal Evolution in XUV Irradiated Exoplanets: The TRAPPIST-1 Case Study

Abstract Exoplanets residing close to their stars can experience evolution of both their physical structures and their orbits due to the influence of their host stars. In this work, we present a coupled analysis of dynamical tidal dissipation and atmospheric mass loss for exoplanets in X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) irradiated environments. As our primary application, we use this model to study the TRAPPIST-1 system and place constraints on the interior structure and orbital evolution of the planets. We start by reporting on an ultraviolet continuum flux measurement (centered around ∼1900 Å) for the star TRAPPIST-1, based on 300 ks of Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory data, and which enables an estimate of the XUV-driven thermal escape arising from XUV photodissociation for each planet. We find that the X-ray flaring luminosity, measured from our X-ray detections, of TRAPPIST-1 is 5.6 × 10−4 L *, while the full flux including non-flaring periods is 6.1 × 10−5 L *, when L * is TRAPPIST-1's bolometric luminosity. We then construct a model that includes both atmospheric mass loss and tidal evolution and requires the planets to attain their present-day orbital elements during this coupled evolution. We use this model to constrain the ratio for each planet. Finally, we use additional numerical models implemented with the Virtual Planet Simulator VPLanet to study ocean retention for these planets using our derived system parameters.

On the XUV Luminosity Evolution of TRAPPIST-1

Abstract We model the long-term X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) luminosity of TRAPPIST-1 to constrain the evolving high-energy radiation environment experienced by its planetary system. Using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, we derive probabilistic constraints for TRAPPIST-1's stellar and XUV evolution that account for observational uncertainties, degeneracies between model parameters, and empirical data of low-mass stars. We constrain TRAPPIST-1's mass to m ⋆ = 0.089 ± 0.001 M ⊙ and find that its early XUV luminosity likely saturated at . From the posterior distribution, we infer that there is a ∼40% chance that TRAPPIST-1 is still in the saturated phase today, suggesting that TRAPPIST-1 has maintained high activity and L XUV/L bol ≈ 10−3 for several gigayears. TRAPPIST-1's planetary system therefore likely experienced a persistent and extreme XUV flux environment, potentially driving significant atmospheric erosion and volatile loss. The inner planets likely received XUV fluxes ∼103–104 times that of the modern Earth during TRAPPIST-1's ∼1 Gyr long pre-main-sequence phase. Deriving these constraints via MCMC is computationally nontrivial, so scaling our methods to constrain the XUV evolution of a larger number of M dwarfs that harbor terrestrial exoplanets would incur significant computational expenses. We demonstrate that approxposterior, an open source Python machine learning package for approximate Bayesian inference using Gaussian processes, accurately and efficiently replicates our analysis using 980 times less computational time and 1330 times fewer simulations than MCMC sampling using emcee. We find that approxposterior derives constraints with mean errors on the best-fit values and 1σ uncertainties of 0.61% and 5.5%, respectively, relative to emcee.

The Bimodal Distribution in Exoplanet Radii: Considering Varying Core Compositions and H2 Envelope’s Sizes

Abstract Several models have been introduced in order to explain the radius distribution in exoplanet radii observed by Fulton et al. with one peak at , the other at , and the minimum at . In this paper we focus on the hypothesis that the exoplanet size distribution is caused by stellar X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV)-induced atmospheric loss. We evolve 106 synthetic exoplanets by exposing them to XUV irradiation from synthetic zero-age main-sequence stars. For each planet we set a different interior composition, which ranged from 100 wt% Fe (very dense), through to 100 wt% MgSiO3 (average density), and to 100 wt% ice (low density), with varying hydrogen envelope sizes that varied from 0 wt% (a negligible envelope) to 100 wt% (a negligible core). Our simulations were able to replicate the bimodal distribution in exoplanet radii. We argue that in order to reproduce the distribution by Fulton et al. it is mandatory for there to be a paucity of exoplanets with masses above . Furthermore, our best-fit result predicts an initial flat distribution in exoplanet occurrence for with a strong deficiency for planets with . Our results are consistent with the radius peak mostly encompassing denuded exoplanets, while the radius peak is mainly comprised of exoplanets with large hydrogen envelopes.

Global 3D Hydrodynamic Modeling of In-transit Lyα Absorption of GJ 436b

Abstract Using a global 3D, fully self-consistent, multifluid hydrodynamic model, we simulate the escaping upper atmosphere of the warm Neptune GJ 436b, driven by the stellar X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) radiation impact and gravitational forces and interacting with the stellar wind. Under the typical parameters of XUV flux and stellar wind plasma expected for GJ 436, we calculate in-transit absorption in Lyα and find that it is produced mostly by energetic neutral atoms outside of the planetary Roche lobe, due to the resonant thermal line broadening. At the same time, the influence of radiation pressure has been shown to be insignificant. The modeled absorption is in good agreement with the observations and reveals such features as strong asymmetry between blue and red wings of the absorbed Lyα line profile, deep transit depth in the high-velocity blue part of the line reaching more than 70%, and the timing of early ingress. On the other hand, the model produces significantly deeper and longer egress than in observations, indicating that there might be other processes and factors, still not accounted for, that affect the interaction between the planetary escaping material and the stellar wind. At the same time, it is possible that the observational data, collected in different measurement campaigns, are affected by strong variations of the stellar wind parameters between the visits, and therefore they cannot be reproduced altogether with the single set of model parameters.

Stellar activity and planetary atmosphere evolution in tight binary star systems

Context. In tight binary star systems, tidal interactions can significantly influence the rotational and orbital evolution of both stars, and therefore their activity evolution. This can have strong effects on the atmospheric evolution of planets that are orbiting the two stars. Aims. In this paper, we aim to study the evolution of stellar rotation and of X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) radiation in tight binary systems consisting of two solar mass stars and use our results to study planetary atmosphere evolution in the habitable zones of these systems. Methods. We have applied a rotation model developed for single stars to binary systems, taking into account the effects of tidal interactions on the rotational and orbital evolution of both stars. We used empirical rotation-activity relations to predict XUV evolution tracks for the stars, which we used to model hydrodynamic escape of hydrogen dominated atmospheres. Results. When significant, tidal interactions increase the total amount of XUV energy emitted, and in the most extreme cases by up to factor of ~50. We find that in the systems that we study, habitable zone planets with masses of 1 M⊕ can lose huge hydrogen atmospheres due to the extended high levels of XUV emission, and the time that is needed to lose these atmospheres depends on the binary orbital separation. For some orbital separations, and when the stars are born as rapid rotators, it is also possible for tidal interactions to protect atmospheres from erosion by quickly spinning down the stars. For very small orbital separations, the loss of orbital angular momentum by stellar winds causes the two stars to merge. We suggest that the merging of the two stars could cause previously frozen planets to become habitable due to the habitable zone boundaries moving outwards.

The Effect of Photoionization on the Loss of Water of the Planet

Abstract Hydrogen and oxygen can rapidly escape from the atmosphere of planets as a result of the photolysis of water by strong X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) radiation of a star, which are fundamental to the origin of life and habitability. We developed an ion–atom mixed model to describe the escape of water from planets with water-dominated atmosphere. We showed that the oxygen ions easily escape from the atmosphere with the hydrogen owing to the strong interactions between oxygen ions and hydrogen. The atomic oxygen can escape from the atmosphere with hydrogen in the environment of high XUV irradiation. However, they decouple from hydrogen and oxygen ions with the decrease of XUV flux. We found that the critical XUV level is about 12–16 times or 30–40 times the present value for planets with the mass and separation of Venus and Earth, respectively. Below the critical XUV values, the oxygen can deposit in the atmosphere. Our results show that ions effectively transfer momentum between interacting species. The neglect of ions in the hydrodynamic model results in lower momentum exchanges between hydrogen and oxygen so that the critical XUV values increase by a factor of 2. Finally, our model predicted that the planets with a mass and separation of Venus (Earth) can lose the hydrogen of 21.5 (9.1) Earth oceans and oxygen of 2.6 (0.6) Earth oceans. Thus, the hydrodynamic escape could have dried up the water of their atmosphere in the period of early evolution.

Laboratory simulation of Hot Jupiters atmosphere expansion

Hot Jupiters (HJ) are exoplanets, gas giants with low orbits (≤ 0.1 a.u.). The stellar X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) radiation energy deposition result in heating ionization and the consequent expansion of planetary atmosphere. Expansion of upper atmosphere under certain conditions could be so large that the majority of light atmospheric constituents overcome the gravitational binding and escape from the planet in a form of hydrodynamic wind. Besides interaction of two counter-streaming plasma flows (stellar wind and ionized upper layers of planet atmosphere), each of this flows interact with planetary magnetic field. In such complex situation laboratory simulation can provide data that can’t be obtained by computer simulation or observation. Experiment was carried out on KI-1 facility: high-vacuum chamber 5m long, 1.2 m in diameter with pressure ∼ 10-6 Torr. Magnetic dipole with two attached laser targets played the role of a planet, and background plasma from θ-pinch used for simulation of stellar wind. As a result, data on a behavior of plasma density and magnetic field were obtained. The novel phenomenon was registered: magnetic field is transferred by the cloud of laser plasma, which was not observed before in experiments or calculations.

Aberrations of soft x-ray and vacuum ultraviolet optical systems with orthogonal arrangement of elements

The wave aberration of plane-symmetric optical systems is expressed with the aperture-ray coordinates on the reference exit wavefront in the paper; the defocus aberration caused by the meridional field of source is analyzed in detail. Based on the expressions of the wave aberration and the defocus, the aberrations of the soft x-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) optical systems with an orthogonal arrangement of elements are studied as a whole. The resultant aberration expressions are used to calculate the aberrations of two design examples; the images are compared to the ray-tracing results with Shadow to validate the aberration expressions. The study shows that the accuracy of the aberration expressions is satisfactory. The analytical analysis of aberrations is helpful in the design and optimization of the XUV optical systems with an orthogonal arrangement of elements.

STARSPOTS-TRANSIT DEPTH RELATION OF THE EVAPORATING PLANET CANDIDATE KIC 12557548b

Violent variation of transit depths and an ingress-egress asymmetry of the transit light curve discovered in KIC 12557548 have been interpreted as evidences of a catastrophic evaporation of atmosphere with dust (M_p gtrsim 1 M_oplus/Gyr) from a close-in small planet. To explore what drives the anomalous atmospheric escape, we perform time-series analysis of the transit depth variation of Kepler archival data for ~ 3.5 yr. We find a ~ 30% periodic variation of the transit depth with P1 = 22.83 pm 0.21 days, which is within the error of the rotation period of the host star estimated using the light curve modulation, Prot = 22.91 pm 0.24 days. We interpret the results as evidence that the atmospheric escape of KIC 12557548b correlates with stellar activity. We consider possible scenarios that account for both the mass loss rate and the correlation with stellar activity. X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV)-driven evaporation is possible if one accepts a relatively high XUV flux and a high efficiency for converting the input energy to the kinetic energy of the atmosphere. Star-planet magnetic interaction is another possible scenario though huge uncertainty remains for the mass loss rate.

THERMAL ESCAPE FROM SUPER EARTH ATMOSPHERES IN THE HABITABLE ZONES OF M STARS

A fundamental question for exoplanet habitability is the long-term stability of the planet's atmosphere. We numerically solve a one-dimensional multi-component hydrodynamic thermosphere/ionosphere model to examine the thermal and chemical responses of the primary CO2 atmospheres of heavy super Earths (6–10 Earth masses) in the habitable zones of typical low-mass M stars to the enhanced soft X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) fluxes associated with the prolonged high-activity levels of M stars. The results show that such atmospheres are stable against thermal escape, even for M stars XUV enhancements as large as 1000 compared to the present Earth. It is possible that the CO2-dominant atmospheres of super Earths in the habitable zones of M stars could potentially contain modest amount of free oxygen as a result of more efficient atmosphere escape of carbon than oxygen instead of photosynthesis.

Interaction of ethylene and hydrogen with a commercial Pd black: carbon accumulation and possible adsorbate-induced rearrangement

The interaction of hydrogen, ethylene and their mixtures with a commercial Pd black was studied. Hydrogen treatment at 300 K created a rather clean Pd surface with some residual carbon. Ethylene introduced in high hydrogen excess exerted hardly any influence on the metallic properties of Pd, as shown by X-ray and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS and UPS). The carbon content did not change. Contacting Pd with ethylene in low excess of H2 or without any hydrogen changed the Pd 3d line, indicating its chemical interaction with C. Simultaneously, a new component appeared in the C 1s region at BE∽283.5 eV. It indicated the formation of Pd–C bonds, responsible for changes in the Pd valence state. Intensity drop at the near-Fermi edge region in UPS corroborated this interaction. Pd also underwent considerable structural rearrangement, as shown by the appearance of a large peak in the UP spectra at ∽8 eV, corresponding to the enrichment of the sodium carbonate impurity on the surface. This component proved to be a good indicator of surface flexibility.

The Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

The Advanced Light Source (ALS) at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL), scheduled to be operational in the spring of 1993 as a U.S. Department of Energy national user facility, will be a next-generation source of soft x-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) synchrotron radiation. Undulators will provide the world’s brightest synchrotron radiation at photon energies from below 10 eV to above 2 keV; wiggler and bend-magnet radiation will extend the spectral coverage with high fluxes above 10 keV. These capabilities will support an extensive research program in a broad spectrum of scientific and technological areas in which XUV radiation is used to study and manipulate matter in all its varied gaseous, liquid, and solid forms. The ALS will also serve those interested in developing the fabrication technology for microstructures and nanostructures, as well as for characterizing them.

The advanced light source at Lawrence Berkeley laboratory: a new tool for research in atomic physics

The Advanced Light Source, a third-generation national synchrotron-radiation facility now under construction at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, is scheduled to begin serving qualified users across a broad spectrum of research areas in the spring of 1993. Based on a low-emittance electron storage ring optimized to operate at 1.5 GeV, the ALS will have 10 long straight sections available for insertion devices (undulators and wigglers) and 24 high-quality bend-magnet ports. The short pulse width (30–50 ps) will be ideal for time-resolved measurements. Undulators will generate high-brightness partially coherent soft X-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) radiation from below 10 eV to above 2 keV; this radiation is plane polarized. Wigglers and bend magnets will extend the spectrum by generating high fluxes of X-rays to photon energies above 10 keV. The ALS will have an extensive research program in which XUV radiation is used to study matter in all its varied gaseous, liquid, and solid forms. The high brightness will open new areas of research in the materials sciences, such as spatially resolved spectroscopy (spectromicroscopy), and in biology, such as X-ray microscopy with element-specific sensitivity; the high flux will allow measurements in atomic physics and chemistry to be made with tenuous gas-phase targets. Technological applications could include lithography and nano-fabrication.

The advanced light source ? a new tool for research in atomic physics

The Advanced Light Source, a third-generation national synchrotron-radiation facility now under construction at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in Berkeley, California, is scheduled to begin serving qualified users across a broad spectrum of research areas in the spring of 1993. Undulators will generate high-brightness, partially coherent, plane polarized, soft x-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) radiation from below 10 eV to above 2 keV. Wigglers and bend magnets will generate high fluxes of x-rays to photon energies above 10 keV. The ALS will have an extensive research program in which XUV radiation is used to study matter in all its varied gaseous, liquid, and solid forms.

Thickness variations in x-ray filters and laser targets

Thickness variation of visually opaque foils used as x-ray and ultraviolet (XUV) photon filters and photocathodes can introduce anomalies in recorded intensities, images, and spectral line profiles. In laser fusion studies, mass thickness variations of laser-accelerated foils can hydrodynamically disrupt their motion. We have used transmitted electrons to obtain quantitative local (area ≤1 μm2) measurements of mass thickness as well as qualitative images of mass thickness variations in free-standing Be, C, and Al foils presently in use in the above areas of investigation. Substantial mass thickness variations, up to a factor of 4 for Al and 1.3 for Be, were found which can produce considerable modulations in transmitted XUV photon intensity.