Bibcode
Mura, A.; Wurz, P.; Schneider, J.; Lammer, H.; Grießmeier, J.-M.; Khodachenko, M. L.; Weingrill, J.; Guenther, E.; Cabrera, J.; Erikson, A.; Fridlund, M.; Milillo, A.; Rauer, H.; von Paris, Ph.
Referencia bibliográfica
Icarus, Volume 211, Issue 1, p. 1-9.
Fecha de publicación:
1
2011
Revista
Número de citas
41
Número de citas referidas
36
Descripción
In this study, the interaction of stellar wind plasma with the exosphere
and possibly with the planetary magnetospheric environment of close-in
rocky exoplanets is investigated. In particular, we focus on the
“super-Earth” CoRoT-7b, which has been recently discovered
by the CoRoT space observatory. The physical properties of such a
planet, with an orbital distance of about 0.017 AU from its host star,
may most likely resemble a big and more massive Mercury-type planet in
the sense that it most likely releases its surface elements into space.
Based on the present knowledge of CoRoT-7b and drawing on the analogy to
Solar System planets, we use numerical models to simulate exospheric and
magnetospheric distributions of different particle populations, among
which are neutral sodium and ionised calcium and magnesium. We find
that, for most species, the atmospheric loss rate in such an extreme
environment can be very high, so that a neutral and an ionised tail of
escaping particles will form. Depending on the planetary composition we
postulate the presence of a sodium tail, similar to that of Mercury but
shorter due to the shorter Na lifetime, and of an extended
magnetospheric distribution of ionised calcium or magnesium. The
feasibility of observation of such populations is also discussed.