Version 23.11.15

This is the first release since Lichtenberg et al., 2021. Significant changes have been made to the model since then, so I will not make a direct comparison here.

The model is able to simulate the evolution of a magma ocean planet from a completely molten state to solidification. It accounts for energy transport through the interior (convection, conduction, settling, phase change), surface (conduction), and atmosphere (radiation, convection). The composition of the atmosphere is set by melt-vapour equilibrium with the magma ocean, requiring mass balance between equilibrium chemistry and solubility in the melt. Downwelling SW radiation from the star is calculated from stellar evolution tracks, and using time-resolved spectra. The model supports several volatiles at runtime, but includes tools for post-processing simulation results with robust photochemical kinetics. Output data are automatically plotted. The model's modular nature allows the submodules (e.g. AEOLUS) to be swapped for alternatives, such as AGNI.

This release has been able demonstrate that an Earth-like case with a pure-steam atmosphere cools within a few Myr, while Venus maintains a partially molten state thanks to a strong greenhouse effect. Highly irradiated planets (e.g. TRAPPIST-1b) are shown to maintain an almost entirely molten state as long as they maintain their atmospheres.

Submodules have been validated separately. This release does not include submodules explicitly, so they will need to be downloaded according to the documentation.