Magnetic Fields in Earth-like Exoplanets and Implications for Habitability around M-dwarfs

Details Magnetic Fields in Earth-like Exoplanets and Implications for Habitability around M-dwarfs Magnetic Fields in Earth-like Exoplanets and Implications for Habitability around M-dwarfs

2011-07-14

arxiv.org/abs/1107.2804v1

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

4 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the Origins 2011 ISSOL & IAU Meeting Conference Proceedings, Montpellier, France, July 3-8 201

Scientific paper

We present estimations of dipolar magnetic moments for terrestrial exoplanets using the Olson & Christiansen (2006) scaling law and assuming their interior structure is similar to Earth. We find that the dipolar moment of fast rotating planets (where the Coriolis force dominates convection in the core), may amount up to ~80 times the magnetic moment of Earth, M_Earth, for at least part of the planets' lifetime. For very slow rotating planets (where the force of inertia dominates), the dipolar magnetic moment only reaches up to ~1.5 M_Earth. Applying our calculations to currently confirmed rocky exoplanets, we find that CoRoT-7b, Kepler-10b and 55 Cnc e can sustain dynamos up to ~ 18, 15 and 13 M_Earth, respectively. Our results also indicate that the magnetic moment of rocky exoplanets not only depends on their rotation rate, but also on their formation history, thermal state, age and composition, as well as the geometry of the field. These results apply to all rocky planets, but have important implications for the particular case of exoplanets in the Habitable Zone of M-dwarfs.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Magnetic Fields in Earth-like Exoplanets and Implications for Habitability around M-dwarfs does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Magnetic Fields in Earth-like Exoplanets and Implications for Habitability around M-dwarfs, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Magnetic Fields in Earth-like Exoplanets and Implications for Habitability around M-dwarfs will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-225270