Thermal Evolution of Hot Jupiters Subject to Ohmic Dissipation

Details Thermal Evolution of Hot Jupiters Subject to Ohmic Dissipation Thermal Evolution of Hot Jupiters Subject to Ohmic Dissipation

Sep 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011ess.....2.1302b&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, ESS meeting #2, #13.02

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

The atmospheres of Hot Jupiters are often hot enough to allow for thermal ionization of trace alkali metals, resulting in considerable electrical conductivity. Consequently, the interaction between the characteristic extreme weather and the background planetary magnetic field gives rise to electrical currents that flow through out the planet. The resulting Ohmic dissipation in the planetary interior has been suggested to be the dominant energy source, responsible for inflation of the planetary radii. Here, we present calculations of thermal evolution of Hot Jupiters with various masses and effective temperatures under Ohmic dissipation. The computed evolutionary sequences show a clear tendency towards inflated radii for effective temperatures that correspond to the onset of significant electrical conductivity in the atmosphere, compatible with the trend of the data. The degree of inflation shows that Ohmic dissipation, along with the likely variability in heavy element content can account for all of the currently detected radius anomalies. Furthermore, we find that in absence of a massive core, low-mass hot Jupiters can over-flow their Roche-lobes and evaporate on Gyr time-scales, possibly leaving behind small rocky cores.

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