Energetic Requirements for Dynamos in the Metallic Cores of Super-Earth
and Super-Venus Exoplanets
Abstract
Super-Earth and super-Venus exoplanets may have similar bulk
compositions but dichotomous surface conditions and mantle dynamics.
Vigorous convection within their metallic cores may produce dynamos and
thus magnetospheres if the total heat flow out of the core exceeds a
critical value. Earth has a core-hosted dynamo because plate tectonics
cools the core relatively rapidly. In contrast, Venus has no dynamo and
its deep interior probably cools slowly. Here we develop scaling laws
for how planetary mass affects the minimum heat flow required to sustain
both thermal and chemical convection, which we compare to a simple model
for the actual heat flow conveyed by solid-state mantle convection. We
found that the required heat flows increase with planetary mass (to a
power of ~0.8–0.9), but the actual heat flow may
increase even faster (to a power of ~1.6). Massive
super-Earths are likely to host a dynamo in their metallic cores if
their silicate mantles are entirely solid. Super-Venuses with relatively
slow mantle convection could host a dynamo if their mass exceeds
~1.5 (with an inner core) or ~4 (without
an inner core) Earth-masses. However, the mantles of massive rocky
exoplanets might not be completely solid. Basal magma oceans may reduce
the heat flow across the core-mantle boundary and smother any
core-hosted dynamo. Detecting a magnetosphere at an Earth-mass planet
probably signals Earth-like geodynamics. In contrast, magnetic fields
may not reliably reveal if a massive exoplanet is a super-Earth or a
super-Venus. We eagerly await direct observations in the next few
decades.