New Model to Unlock Secrets of Steamy Exoplanets
SANTA CRUZ,CA – researchers at UC Santa cruz have developed a novel computational model to investigate the internal structures of “steam world” exoplanets – a class of planet increasingly discovered orbiting distant stars. These sub-Neptune sized worlds, characterized by hot, steamy atmospheres, present a unique challenge to planetary scientists seeking to understand their composition and evolution.
The new model focuses on the exotic behavior of water under the extreme pressures and temperatures found deep within these planets. Under such conditions, water may transform into “superionic ice,” a bizarre state of matter where hydrogen ions move freely through a fixed lattice of oxygen atoms, behaving as both a solid and a liquid. This form of water doesn’t exist naturally on Earth, making its study reliant on advanced modeling techniques. Understanding the properties of superionic ice is crucial because it significantly impacts a planet’s thermal evolution, magnetic field generation, and overall habitability.
This research, detailed in a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, aims to provide a more accurate picture of these enigmatic planets.The team’s work builds on recent discoveries like GJ 9827 d and planets within the Kepler-138 system, which suggest a population of water-rich exoplanets may be more common than previously thought. By simulating the energetic aspects of these steam worlds, scientists hope to decipher the processes shaping their atmospheres and interiors, ultimately shedding light on the diversity of planetary systems beyond our own.
Source: Evolution of Steam Worlds: Energetic Aspects https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/add935
Via University of California, Santa Cruz https://news.ucsc.edu/2025/08/new-model-steam-worlds/
