{
  "id": "1001.3639",
  "version": "v1",
  "published": "2010-01-20T17:03:53.000Z",
  "updated": "2010-01-20T17:03:53.000Z",
  "title": "Atmospheric Chemistry in Giant Planets, Brown Dwarfs, and Low-Mass Dwarf Stars III. Iron, Magnesium, and Silicon",
  "authors": [
    "Channon Visscher",
    "Katharina Lodders",
    "Bruce Fegley Jr"
  ],
  "comment": "42 pages, 15 figures, submitted to the Astrophysical Journal",
  "categories": [
    "astro-ph.EP"
  ],
  "abstract": "We use thermochemical equilibrium calculations to model iron, magnesium, and silicon chemistry in the atmospheres of giant planets, brown dwarfs, extrasolar giant planets (EGPs), and low-mass stars. The behavior of individual Fe-, Mg-, and Si-bearing gases and condensates is determined as a function of temperature, pressure, and metallicity. Our results are thus independent of any particular model atmosphere. The condensation of Fe metal strongly affects iron chemistry by efficiently removing Fe-bearing species from the gas phase. Monatomic Fe is the most abundant Fe-bearing gas throughout the atmospheres of EGPs and L dwarfs and in the deep atmospheres of giant planets and T dwarfs. Mg- and Si-bearing gases are effectively removed from the atmosphere by forsterite (Mg2SiO4) and enstatite (MgSiO3) cloud formation. Monatomic Mg is the dominant magnesium gas throughout the atmospheres of EGPs and L dwarfs and in the deep atmospheres of giant planets and T dwarfs. Silicon monoxide (SiO) is the most abundant Si-bearing gas in the deep atmospheres of brown dwarfs and EGPs, whereas SiH4 is dominant in the deep atmosphere of Jupiter and other gas giant planets. Several other Fe-, Mg-, and Si-bearing gases become increasingly important with decreasing effective temperature. In principle, a number of Fe, Mg, and Si gases are potential tracers of weather or diagnostic of temperature in substellar atmospheres.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v1",
      "updated": "2010-01-20T17:03:53.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "giant planets",
      "brown dwarfs",
      "low-mass dwarf stars",
      "atmospheric chemistry",
      "deep atmosphere"
    ],
    "tags": [
      "journal article"
    ],
    "publication": {
      "doi": "10.1088/0004-637X/716/2/1060",
      "journal": "The Astrophysical Journal",
      "year": 2010,
      "month": "Jun",
      "volume": 716,
      "number": 2,
      "pages": 1060
    },
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 42,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable",
      "inspire": 843307,
      "adsabs": "2010ApJ...716.1060V"
    }
  }
}