A 3D picture of moist-convection inhibition in hydrogen-rich atmospheres: Implications for K2-18b

Vol. 686
10. Planets and planetary systems

A 3D picture of moist-convection inhibition in hydrogen-rich atmospheres: Implications for K2-18b

The issue of convective inhibition has received increased attention from a diverse range of planetary research groups around the world as its centrality to understanding the atmospheric dynamics and thermal evolution of the Solar System and exoplanets has become increasingly apparent. So far, researchers have relied primarily on linear stability analysis to draw conclusions, and the applicability of the involved assumptions to real systems has been suspect. This work addresses the major shortcoming of prior works by constructing highly detailed, physically realistic, 3D, cloud-resolving simulations of model planetary atmospheres to (computationally) demonstrate the phenomenon empirically. The insights from these high-fidelity simulations are used to construct self-consistent 1D models, which are then compared against analytical theory. This paper represents a giant leap forward in our understanding of the fundamental fluid dynamics of planetary atmospheres in our Solar System and beyond, both lending credibility to existing studies and elucidating new phenomena.