Hot super-Earths stripped by their host stars

M. S. Lundkvist (), H. Kjeldsen, S. Albrecht, G. R. Davies, S. Basu, D. Huber, A. B. Justesen, C. Karoff, V. Silva Aguirre, V. Van Eylen, C. Vang, T. Arentoft, T. Barclay, T. R. Bedding, T. L. Campante, W. J. Chaplin, J. Christensen-Dalsgaard, Y. P. Elsworth, R. L. Gilliland, R. Handberg, S. Hekker, S. D. Kawaler, M. N. Lund, T. S. Metcalfe, A. Miglio, J. F. Rowe, D. Stello, B. Tingley and T. R. White
Additional contact information
M. S. Lundkvist: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
H. Kjeldsen: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
S. Albrecht: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
G. R. Davies: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
S. Basu: Yale University
D. Huber: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
A. B. Justesen: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
C. Karoff: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
V. Silva Aguirre: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
V. Van Eylen: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
C. Vang: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
T. Arentoft: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
T. Barclay: NASA Ames Research Center
T. R. Bedding: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
T. L. Campante: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
W. J. Chaplin: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
J. Christensen-Dalsgaard: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
Y. P. Elsworth: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
R. L. Gilliland: Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, The Pennsylvania State University
R. Handberg: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
S. Hekker: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
S. D. Kawaler: Iowa State University
M. N. Lund: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
T. S. Metcalfe: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
A. Miglio: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
J. F. Rowe: NASA Ames Research Center
D. Stello: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
B. Tingley: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University
T. R. White: Stellar Astrophysics Centre (SAC), Aarhus University

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Simulations predict that hot super-Earth sized exoplanets can have their envelopes stripped by photoevaporation, which would present itself as a lack of these exoplanets. However, this absence in the exoplanet population has escaped a firm detection. Here we demonstrate, using asteroseismology on a sample of exoplanets and exoplanet candidates observed during the Kepler mission that, while there is an abundance of super-Earth sized exoplanets with low incident fluxes, none are found with high incident fluxes. We do not find any exoplanets with radii between 2.2 and 3.8 Earth radii with incident flux above 650 times the incident flux on Earth. This gap in the population of exoplanets is explained by evaporation of volatile elements and thus supports the predictions. The confirmation of a hot-super-Earth desert caused by evaporation will add an important constraint on simulations of planetary systems, since they must be able to reproduce the dearth of close-in super-Earths.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms11201

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