Extrasolar super-Io planets?

[ajtribick]

Interesting calculations in this paper, which predicts the energy flux (in watts per square metre) on some close-in "superterrestrial" planets.

For Gliese 581c, the flux is predicted to be about 3 times that of Io.
For HD 69830b, the flux is predicted to be about 20 times that of Io.
For Gliese 876d, the flux is predicted to be somewhere in the region 1000-10000 times that of Io, a value that is so large that the planet is unlikely to be solid...

[eburacum45]

That is interesting. I suppose that finally rules out the possibility of water on Gliese 581c, and probably means the hottest of these planets have atmospheres full of silicate vapour.

[Hungry4info]

What causes these high flux values? The energy from the star itself? Or the planet's interaction with the other planets?

[ajtribick]

What causes these high flux values? The energy from the star itself? Or the planet's interaction with the other planets?

Sorry should have been more clear... missed out the words "from tidal heating" in the original post. The paper states that planet-planet interactions have not been considered.