Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-r7xzm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T05:22:11.817Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Interior structure models of terrestrial exoplanets and application to CoRoT-7 b

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2010

Frank W. Wagner
Affiliation:
Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center, Berlin-Adlershof, Germany email: frank.wagner@dlr.de
Frank Sohl
Affiliation:
Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center, Berlin-Adlershof, Germany email: frank.wagner@dlr.de
Heike Rauer
Affiliation:
Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center, Berlin-Adlershof, Germany email: frank.wagner@dlr.de
Hauke Hussmann
Affiliation:
Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center, Berlin-Adlershof, Germany email: frank.wagner@dlr.de
Matthias Grott
Affiliation:
Institute of Planetary Research, German Aerospace Center, Berlin-Adlershof, Germany email: frank.wagner@dlr.de
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In this study, we model the internal structure of CoRoT-7b, considered as a typical extrasolar terrestrial planet, using mass and energy balance constraints. Our results suggest that the deep interior is predominantly composed of dry silicate rock, similar to the Earth's Moon. A central iron core, if present, would be relatively small and less massive (<15 wt.% of the planet's total mass) as compared to the Earth's (core mass fraction 32.6 wt.%). Furthermore, a partly molten near-surface magma ocean could be maintained, provided surface temperatures were high enough and the rock component mainly composed of Earth-like mineral phase assemblages.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2010

References

Abe, Y. 1997, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 100, 27CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Elkins-Tanton, L. T. & Seager, S. 2008, ApJ 688, 628CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gasparik, T. 1994, Mineral. Mag. 58A, 321CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hama, J. & Suito, K. 1996, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 8, 67Google Scholar
Léger, A., Rouan, D., Schneider, J. et al. 2009, A&A 506, 287Google Scholar
Queloz, D., Bouchy, F., Moutou, C. et al. 2009, A&A 506, 303Google Scholar
Sasaki, S. & Nakazawa, K. 1986, J. Geophys. Res. 91, 9231CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sohl, F. & Schubert, G. 2007, in: Spohn, T. (ed.), Treatise on Geophysics 10 (Amsterdam: Elsevier), p. 27CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sotin, C., Grasset, O., & Mocquet, A. 2007, Icarus 191, 337CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Valencia, D., O'Connell, R. J., & Sasselov, D. D. 2006, Icarus 181, 545CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Valencia, D., Sasselov, D. D., & O'Connell, R. J. 2007, ApJ 656, 545CrossRefGoogle Scholar