2015/05/01 by Cayman T. Unterborn, Jennifer A. Johnson, Unterborn, Cayman T. +3
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP) #FOS: Physical sciences #Geological and Geochemical Analysis #Planetary Science and Exploration #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1505.00280
openalex publication_date 2015/05/01 · openalex created_date 2022/10/03 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We present the first investigation of Th abundances in Solar twins and\nanalogues to understand the possible range of this radioactive element and its\neffect on rocky planet interior dynamics and potential habitability. The\nabundances of the radioactive elements Th and U are key components of a\nplanet's energy budget, making up 30% to 50% of the Earth's (Korenaga 2008;\nAll `egre et al. 2001; Schubert et al. 1980; Lyubetskaya & Korenaga 2007; The\nKamLAND Collaboration 2011; Huang et al. 2013). Radiogenic heat drives interior\nmantle convection and surface plate tectonics, which sustains a deep carbon and\nwater cycle and thereby aides in creating Earth's habitable surface. Unlike\nother heat sources that are dependent on the planet's specific formation\nhistory, the radiogenic heat budget is directly related to the mantle\nconcentration of these nuclides. As a refractory element, the stellar abundance\nof Th is faithfully reflected in the terrestrial planet's concentration. We\nfind that log eps Th varies from 59% to 251% that of Solar, suggesting\nextrasolar planetary systems may possess a greater energy budget with which to\nsupport surface to interior dynamics and thus increase their likelihood to be\nhabitable compared to our Solar System.\n