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Ionisation and discharge in cloud-forming atmospheres of brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets

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1604.03369v1 (1.113Mb)
Date
07/2016
Author
Helling, Christiane
Rimmer, Paul B.
Rodriguez-Barrera, Maria Isabel
Wood, Kenny
Robertson, G. B.
Stark, C. R.
Funder
Science & Technology Facilities Council
European Research Council
Grant ID
ST/M001296/1
257431 257431
Keywords
Atmospheres
Ionisation
Clouds
Dust charge
Cloud discharge
QB Astronomy
QC Physics
NDAS
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Abstract
Brown dwarfs and giant gas extrasolar planets have cold atmospheres with a rich chemical compositions from which mineral cloud particles form. Their properties, like particle sizes and material composition, vary with height, and the mineral cloud particles are charged due to triboelectric processes in such dynamic atmospheres. The dynamics of the atmospheric gas is driven by the irradiating host star and/or by the rotation of the objects that changes during its lifetime. Thermal gas ionisation in these ultra-cool but dense atmospheres allows electrostatic interactions and magnetic coupling of a substantial atmosphere volume. Combined with a strong magnetic field ≫ BEarth, a chromosphere and aurorae might form as suggested by radio and X-ray observations of brown dwarfs. Non-equilibrium processes like cosmic ray ionisation and discharge processes in clouds will increase the local pool of free electrons in the gas. Cosmic rays and lighting discharges also alter the composition of the local atmospheric gas such that tracer molecules might be identified. Cosmic rays affect the atmosphere through air showers which was modelled with a 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to be able to visualise their spacial extent. Given a certain degree of thermal ionisation of the atmospheric gas, we suggest that electron attachment to charge mineral cloud particles is too inefficient to cause an electrostatic disruption of the cloud particles. Cloud particles will therefore not be destroyed by Coulomb explosion for the local temperature in the collisional dominated brown dwarf and giant gas planet atmospheres. However, the cloud particles are destroyed electrostatically in regions with strong gas ionisation. The potential size of such cloud holes would, however, be too small and might occur too far inside the cloud to mimic the effect of, e.g., magnetic field induced star spots.
Citation
Helling , C , Rimmer , P B , Rodriguez-Barrera , M I , Wood , K , Robertson , G B & Stark , C R 2016 , ' Ionisation and discharge in cloud-forming atmospheres of brown dwarfs and extrasolar planets ' , Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion , vol. 58 , no. 7 , 074003 . https://doi.org/10.1088/0741-3335/58/7/074003
Publication
Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion
Status
Peer reviewed
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1088/0741-3335/58/7/074003
ISSN
0741-3335
Type
Journal article
Rights
© 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd. This work is made available online in accordance with the publisher’s policies. This is the author created, accepted version manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at iopscience.iop.org / https://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0741-3335/58/7/074003
Description
The authors highlight financial support of the European Community under the FP7 by the ERC starting grant 257431.
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  • University of St Andrews Research
URL
http://arxiv.org/abs/1604.03369
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10023/10888

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