2025ApJ...995..198B -
Astrophys. J., 995, 198 (2025/December-3)
Wind-AE: A Fast, Open-source 1D Photoevaporation Code with Metal and Multifrequency X-Ray Capabilities.
BROOME M.I., MURRAY-CLAY R., McCANN J.R. and OWEN J.E.
Abstract (from CDS):
Throughout their lives, short-period exoplanets (<100 days) experience X-ray and extreme-UV (XUV) stellar irradiation that can heat and photoionize planets' upper atmospheres, driving transonic outflows. This photoevaporative mass loss plays a role in both evolution and observed demographics; however, mass-loss rates are not currently directly observable and can only be inferred from models. To that end, we present an open-source fast 1D, XUV multifrequency, multispecies, steady-state, hydrodynamic Parker wind photoevaporation relaxation model based on Murray-Clay et al. The model can move smoothly between high and low flux regimes and accepts custom multifrequency stellar spectra. While the inclusion of high-energy X-rays increases mass-loss rates ($\dot{M}$), metals decrease $\dot{M}$, and the net result for a typical hot Jupiter is a similar $\dot{M}$ but a hotter, faster, and more gradually ionized wind. We find that mulitfrequency photons (e.g., 13.6-2000 eV) are absorbed over a broader range of heights in the atmosphere, resulting in a wind launch radius, RXUV, that is of order 10 nanobars for all but the highest surface gravity planets. Grids of H/He solar-metallicity atmospheres reveal that, for typical hot Jupiters like HD 209458b, RXUV ≈ 1.1RP-1.8RP for low fluxes, meaning that the energy-limited mass-loss rate, ${\dot{M}}_{{\rm{Elim}}}(R)$, computed at R = RP is a good approximation. However, for planets with low escape velocities, like many sub-Neptunes and super-Earths, RXUV can be ≫RP, making it necessary to use ${\dot{M}}_{{\rm{Elim}}}(R={R}_{{\rm{XUV}}})$ to avoid significantly underestimating mass-loss rates. For both high escape velocities and large incident fluxes, radiative cooling is significant and energy-limited mass loss overestimates $\dot{M}$.
Abstract Copyright:
© 2025. The Author(s). Published by the American Astronomical Society.
Journal keyword(s):
Photoionization - Exoplanet atmospheres - Exoplanet atmospheric dynamics - Exoplanet atmospheric evolution - Exoplanet atmospheric structure - Exoplanet atmospheric variability - Exoplanet evolution - X-ray astronomy - Hot Jupiters - Super Earths - Mini Neptunes - Extreme ultraviolet astronomy
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