Volatile-rich evolution of molten super-Earth L 98-59 d
arXiv:2507.02656 · doi:10.1038/s41550-026-02815-8
Abstract
Small low-density exoplanets are sculpted by strong stellar irradiation, but their primordial compositions and subsequent evolution are still unknown. Two often-considered scenarios hold that they formed with rocky interiors and H-He atmospheres ('gas-dwarfs'), or alternatively with bulk compositions dominated by HO phases ('water-worlds'). Here, we constrain the possible range of evolutionary histories linking the birth conditions of low-density super-Earth L 98-59 d to recent observations using a coupled atmosphere-interior evolutionary model. We find that the observations can be explained by in-situ photochemical production of SO in an H background, indicative of a chemically-reducing mantle and substantial (1.8 mass pct.) early sulfur and hydrogen content, inconsistent with both the gas-dwarf and water-world scenarios. L 98-59 d's interior comprises a permanent magma ocean, allowing long-term retention of volatiles within its mantle over billions of years, consistent with California-Kepler Survey trends. Our analysis reveals an evolutionary pathway in which planets host volatile-rich atmospheres sustained by long-term magma ocean degassing, shaped by secular cooling, atmospheric erosion and photochemistry. Internal and environmental processes contribute to the observed diversity of super-Earth and sub-Neptune exoplanets.
Published in Nature Astronomy (16 March 2026). Author's accepted version: 4 figures and 4 pages in the main text, 7 figures and 1 table in the Supplementary Information
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