Plasma physics and planetary astrophysics

Abstract

In this review, I briefly summarize the present status of experimental and theoretical investigations of the properties of matter under conditions characteristic of planetary interiors, from terrestrial to jovian planets. I first focus on the two lightest elements, hydrogen and helium, and discuss recent theoretical and experimental investigations of their properties at high pressure and temperature. Then, I discuss the impact of these properties, as well as of the equation of state of heavier elements, on planetary interiors. Finally, I highlight the importance of exoplanet transit observations and of the inferred mass-radius relationships to determine the planetary interior compositions.

Invited review, 36th European Physical Society Conference on Plasma Physics, Sofia, June 2009

References in corpus (9)

• Mass-Radius Relationships for Solid Exoplanets
• Detailed Models of super-Earths: How well can we infer bulk properties?
• Ab initio Equation of State data for hydrogen, helium, and water and the internal structure of Jupiter
• A Massive Core in Jupiter Predicted From First-Principles Simulations
• Hydrogen-Helium Mixtures in the Interiors of Giant Planets
• First Principles Calculations of Shock Compressed Fluid Helium
• Path Integral Monte Carlo and Density Functional Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Hot, Dense Helium
• Coupled Electron Ion Monte Carlo Calculations of Dense Metallic Hydrogen
• Quantum Monte Carlo Simulation of the High-Pressure Molecular-Atomic Crossover in Fluid Hydrogen

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Colloquium: Nonlinear collective interactions in quantum plasmas with degenerate electron fluids
• Quantum-mechanical calculation of ionization potential lowering in dense plasmas
• Exotic dense matter states pumped by relativistic laser plasma in the radiation dominant regime
• Kinetic modeling of x-ray laser-driven solid Al plasmas via particle-in-cell simulation
• Transient ionization potential depression in nonthermal dense plasmas at high x-ray intensity
• B-field induced mixing between Langmuir waves and axions
• Exploring relaxation dynamics in warm dense plasmas by tailoring non-thermal electron distributions with a free electron laser
• Femtosecond laser-induced sub-wavelength plasma inside dielectrics: I. Field enhancement