Parameterisations of interior properties of rocky planets

An investigation of planets with Earth-like compositions but variable iron content

¹ Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, Malteserstr. 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany
e-mail: lena.noack@fu-berlin.de
² Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique, LPG, UMR 6112, CNRS, Université de Nantes, Université d’Angers, Nantes, France
e-mail: marine.lasbleis@univ-nantes.fr
³ Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan

Received: 13 February 2020
Accepted: 28 April 2020

Abstract

Context. Observations of Earth-sized exoplanets are mostly limited to information on their masses and radii. Simple mass-radius relationships have been developed for scaled-up versions of Earth or other planetary bodies such as Mercury and Ganymede, as well as for one-material spheres made of pure water(-ice), silicates, or iron. However, they do not allow a thorough investigation of composition influences and thermal state on a planet’s interior structure and properties.

Aims. In this work, we investigate the structure of a rocky planet shortly after formation and at later stages of thermal evolution assuming the planet is differentiated into a metal core and a rocky mantle (consisting of Earth-like minerals, but with a variable iron content).

Methods. We derived possible initial temperature profiles after the accretion and magma ocean solidification. We then developed parameterisations for the thermodynamic properties inside the core depending on planet mass, composition, and thermal state.

Results. We provide the community with robust scaling laws for the interior structure, temperature profiles, and core- and mantle-averaged thermodynamic properties for planets composed of Earth’s main minerals but with variable compositions of iron and silicates.

Conclusions. The scaling laws make it possible to investigate variations in thermodynamic properties for different interior thermal states in a multitude of applications such as deriving mass-radius scaling laws or estimating magnetic field evolution and core crystallisation for rocky exoplanets.