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Using Generative Art to Convey Past and Future Climate Transitions

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Tidal Venuses: triggering a climate catastrophe via tidal heating.

Rory Barnes¹, Kristina Mullins, Colin Goldblatt

¹Astronomy Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA. rory@astro.washington.edu

|March 30, 2013

Summary

Planets orbiting small stars may lose water through tidal heating, becoming uninhabitable "Tidal Venuses." This tidal greenhouse effect, driven by orbital eccentricity, revises habitable zone definitions for exoplanets.

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Area of Science:

* Exoplanetary science
* Astrobiology
* Planetary climate science

Background:

* Stellar radiation is traditionally considered the primary driver of long-term global climate on exoplanets.
* The role of internal planetary heat sources, such as tidal heating, in climate evolution is increasingly recognized.
* Understanding factors beyond stellar radiation is crucial for defining habitability and the habitable zone (HZ).

Purpose of the Study:

* To investigate the potential impact of tidal heating on the habitability of terrestrial exoplanets orbiting low-mass stars.
* To determine if tidal heating can induce a runaway greenhouse effect, leading to water loss and desiccation.
* To revise the definition of the habitable zone for exoplanets with non-circular orbits.

Main Methods:

* Simulation of hypothetical planetary system evolution with quasi-continuous parameter distributions.
* Analysis of tidal heating effects, orbital circularization, and hydrogen escape mechanisms.
* Application of theoretical models to specific exoplanet case studies, such as Gl 667C c.

Main Results:

* Terrestrial exoplanets around low-mass stars (<0.3 MSun) may experience significant tidal heating, potentially causing a runaway greenhouse and complete hydrogen escape.
* This process can lead to planet desiccation, rendering them uninhabitable even if they reside within the traditional habitable zone.
* Planets may evolve from eccentric, highly tidally heated states to near-circular orbits, but remain desiccated.
* The study suggests Gl 667C c likely did not lose its water via tidal heating due to orbital stability constraints.

Conclusions:

* Tidal heating represents a significant, previously underestimated factor in exoplanet habitability, particularly around low-mass stars.
* The concept of