3D atmosphere simulations of giant gas planets and mini-Neptunes

太阳系外行星已被证明比太阳系中的行星更加多样化。该项目将通过进行3D全球环流模拟来研究巨行星和微型海王星的气候。巨大的气体行星和迷你海王星形成于行星形成盘的外部，最冷的部分，但最终质量不同。这对他们的气候有什么影响？气候如何根据它们的轨道位置而变化？如何观察到这一点？该项目将侧重于3D气候模拟，自洽地包括在不同化学环境中的云形成。该项目的目的是将小型海王星的3D大气结构与经过充分研究的巨型气体行星（例如HD 189733b）进行比较。该项目还将研究系外行星大气中可能导致电离层形成和闪电发生的电离过程。闪电可能提供一个新的窗口，以了解太阳系外行星的动态大气层，迄今为止，太阳系外行星在天空中被观测为一个未解决的点。这一项目及时与未来几年最大的红外和近红外空间望远镜JWST的发射相联系。

Extrasolar planets have proven to be far more diverse than the planets in the solar system. This project will study the climate of giant planets and mini-Neptunes by conducting 3D global circulation simulations. Giant gas planets and mini-Neptuns form in the outer, most cool parts of planet forming disks but end up with different masses. How does this effect their climate? How does the climate change depending on their orbital position? How can this be observed?This project will focus on the 3D climate simulations that self-consistently include cloud formation in chemically different environments. The aim of the project is to compare the 3D atmospheric structures of mini-Neptuns with the well-studied case of giant gas planets (e.g. HD189733b). The project will also study ionisation processes in exoplanet atmospheres that may lead to the formation of an ionosphere and the occurrence of lighting. Lightning may provide a new window into the dynamic atmospheres of extrasolar planets which so far is observed as an unresolved dot in the sky. This project is timely linked to the launch of JWST, the largest IR and near-IR space telescope in years to come.