It is possible that exoplanets, such as super-Earths, can retain their pristine atmosphere for much longer.
The greenhouse effect can occur in their atmospheres— very similar to Earth's atmosphere today. Therefore, the authors wanted to find out whether such an atmosphere could create the necessary conditions for the preservation of liquid water.
To find out, the team used exoplanet simulations. They took scenarios where the planets had different cores, different atmospheres, and orbital distances from stars changed.
As a result, it turned out that exoplanets with a dense primary atmosphere can indeed retain heat and maintain liquid water for 10 billion years.
But there are other important factors as well.To avoid intense stellar radiation that could destroy the primary atmosphere, the exoplanet must be at a significant distance from the star - about twice as far as the Earth from the Sun. As for the solar system, it is so far from the sun that any water on the planet's surface is likely to freeze.
But stars are not the only source of heat.Some planets, in particular the Earth, can generate their own heat. For example, due to geothermal processes or from radioactive elements that release heat when they decay.
Thus, according to the researchers, ifan exoplanet at this distance from its host star had a primordial atmosphere and enough internal heat that it would retain water and possibly form life.
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