New Model to Unlock Secrets โขof Steamy Exoplanets
SANTA CRUZ,CA – researchers at โUC Santa cruz have developedโฃ a novel โขcomputational model to investigate โthe internal structures of “steam world” exoplanets – a class of planet increasinglyโ discovered โขorbiting distantโ stars. โThese sub-Neptune sized worlds, characterized โขbyโข hot, steamy atmospheres, present a unique challenge to planetary scientists seeking to โขunderstand their composition and evolution.
The new modelโ focuses on โthe exotic behavior of water under the extreme pressures and temperaturesโ found deep within these planets. Under such conditions, water may transform into “superionic ice,” aโข bizarre state of matterโฃ where hydrogen ions move freely through aโ fixed lattice of oxygen atoms, behaving as both a solid and aโ liquid. This โคform of water doesn’t exist naturally on Earth, making its study reliant on advanced modeling techniques. Understanding the properties ofโ superionic ice isโ crucial because โit significantly impacts a planet’s โคthermal evolution, magnetic field generation, and overall habitability.
This research, detailed in โคa paper published โคin The Astrophysical Journal Letters, aims to provide a more โaccurate picture of theseโค enigmatic planets.The team’s work builds on recent discoveriesโ like GJ 9827 d and planets within the Kepler-138 system, โwhich suggest a population of water-rich exoplanetsโข may be more common than previously thought. By simulating the energetic aspects of these steam worlds, scientistsโข hope to decipher the processes shaping โคtheir atmospheres and interiors, ultimately shedding light on the diversity of planetary systems โขbeyond 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/