Ariel planetary interiors White Paper

Repository for Publications and Research Data (ETH Zurich)

Abstract

The recently adopted Ariel ESA mission will measure the atmospheric composition of a large number of exoplanets. This information will then be used to better constrain planetary bulk compositions. While the connection between the composition of a planetary atmosphere and the bulk interior is still being investigated, the combination of the atmospheric composition with the measured mass and radius of exoplanets will push the field of exoplanet characterisation to the next level, and provide new insights of the nature of planets in our galaxy. In this white paper, we outline the ongoing activities of the interior working group of the Ariel mission, and list the desirable theoretical developments as well as the challenges in linking planetary atmospheres, bulk composition and interior structure.

Authors 13

1. Ravit Helled

   University of Zurich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Computational Science, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland

2. Stephanie Werner

   University of Oslo

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, PO 1028 Blindern, 0315, Oslo, Norway

3. Caroline Dorn

   University of Zurich

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Computational Science, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland

4. Tristan Guillot

   Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur

   Affiliation as printed

   Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur/CNRS, 6304, Nice Cedex 4, France

5. Masahiro Ikoma

   The University of Tokyo

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan

6. Yūichi Itō

   University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

7. Mihkel Kama

   Tartu Observatory · University of Tartu

   Affiliation as printed

   Tartu Observatory, University of Tartu, Observatooriumi 1, 61602, Tõravere, Estonia

8. Tim Lichtenberg

   University of Oxford

   Affiliation as printed

   Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

9. Yamila Miguel Aachen Leiden Observatory

   Leiden University · Leiden Observatory

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Observatory, University of Leiden, Niels Bohrweg 2, 2333CA, Leiden, The Netherlands

10. Oliver Shorttle

    University of Cambridge

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

11. Paul James Tackley

    ETH Zurich · Institute of Geophysics

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Geophysics, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

12. Diana Valencia

    University of Toronto

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

13. Allona Vazan

    Open University of Israel

    Affiliation as printed

    Astrophysical Research Center of the Open university (ARCO), Department of Natural Sciences, The Open University of Israel, Ra'anana, Israel