Zurück

Colloquium: Strange New Worlds: Linking Atmosphere–Interior Interactions in Super-Earths and Sub-Neptunes to Observations

Hilke Schlichting (UCLA, California, US) will talk about mini-Neptune formation, evolution, interior-atmosphere coupling, and atmospheric escape.

Donnerstag 29.10.2026 01:10 Uhr

Super-Earths and sub-Neptunes are the most abundant exoplanets discovered in our galaxy to date. However, much of their nature and origin remain shrouded in mystery. Broadly speaking, super-Earths and sub-Neptunes are thought to have formed as a single population with primordial hydrogen-dominated envelopes. However, most super-Earths subsequently lost their primordial atmospheres through thermally driven winds. In my talk, I will present new planet formation and evolution models that incorporate the interplay between physics and chemistry and apply them to Earth, super-Earths, and sub-Neptunes. I will show that magma ocean–atmosphere interactions expected in sub-Neptune exoplanets produce signatures in their transmission spectra that are readily observable with JWST. In addition, hydrogen is efficiently sequestered into the interior, oxidizing iron and endogenously producing water. I will conclude by discussing possible parallels between Earth's formation and that of super-Earths, shedding new light on Earth's primary water reservoir, the origin of the light elements in its iron core, and its oxidation state.

Informationen

 

IWF Colloquium series

Speaker
Hilke Schlichting

When
29.10.2026, 13.45 Uhr

Where
U.a.4 in-person and via Zoom

Recordings
Please be aware that the talks may be recorded, including the questions asked by the audience after the talk.