CoRoT-7 b: Super-Earth or Super-Io?

Details CoRoT-7 b: Super-Earth or Super-Io? CoRoT-7 b: Super-Earth or Super-Io?

Jan 2010

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aas...21533904b&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #339.04; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.444

Physics

Geophysics

Scientific paper

CoRoT-7 b, a planet about 70% larger than the Earth orbiting a Sun-like star, is the first-discovered rocky exoplanet, and hence has been dubbed a "super-Earth". Initial studies indicate that the planet receives enough insolation to partially melt its surface. However, tides also contribute significantly to the heat budget in several ways. Even if there has never been direct tidal heating (e.g. if the planet's eccentricity has always been zero), orbital decay by tides may have very recently placed the planet in an orbit in which its insolation could melt silicates. On the other hand, CoRoT-7 b could be tidally heated at a rate that dominates its geophysics and drives extreme volcanism, making it a "super-Io" similar to Jupiter's volcanic moon. Such heating could occur with an eccentricity of just 10-5. Although this value is very small, the tidal damping of eccentricity is extreme due to the very small orbit. We have considered various mechanisms for maintaining a non-zero eccentricity, but only perturbations from CoRoT-7 c can raise b's eccentricity large enough to induce Io-like heating, and only if its eccentricity is of order 10-4. Such a value is plausible, though below current detection thresholds. Nonetheless, CoRoT-7 b may be the first of a class of planetary super-Ios likely to be revealed by the CoRoT and Kepler spacecraft.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

CoRoT-7 b: Super-Earth or Super-Io? 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 CoRoT-7 b: Super-Earth or Super-Io?, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and CoRoT-7 b: Super-Earth or Super-Io? will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-962287