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Assessing the Interior Structure of Terrestrial Exoplanets with Implications for Habitability

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Handbook of Exoplanets

Abstract

Astrophysical observations reveal a large diversity of radii and masses of exoplanets. It is important to characterize the interiors of exoplanets to understand planetary diversity and further determine how unique, or not, Earth is. Assessing interior structure is challenging because there are few data and large uncertainties. Thus, for a given exoplanet, a range of interior structure models can satisfy available data. Typically, interior models aim to constrain the radial structure and composition of the core and mantle and additionally ice, ocean, and gas layer if appropriate. Constraining the parameters of these layers may also inform us about interior dynamics. However, it remains challenging to constrain interior dynamics using interior structure models because structure models are relatively insensitive to the thermal state of a planet. Nevertheless, elucidating interior dynamics remains a key goal in exoplanetology due to its role in determining surface conditions and hence habitability. Thus far, Earth-like habitability can be excluded for super-Earths that are in close proximity to their stars and therefore have high surface temperatures that promote local magma oceans.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Caroline Dorn

  2. University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Dan J. Bower

  3. ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland

    Antoine Rozel

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  1. Caroline Dorn
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  2. Dan J. Bower
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  3. Antoine Rozel
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Correspondence to Caroline Dorn .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias , La Laguna, Spain

    Hans J. Deeg

  2. Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, La Laguna, Spain

    Juan Antonio Belmonte

Section Editor information

  1. Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Seattle, USA

    Victoria Meadows

  2. Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Box 351580, 98195, Seattle, WA, USA

    Rory Barnes

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Dorn, C., Bower, D.J., Rozel, A. (2018). Assessing the Interior Structure of Terrestrial Exoplanets with Implications for Habitability. In: Deeg, H., Belmonte, J. (eds) Handbook of Exoplanets . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30648-3_66-1

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