Version 24.07.25

What's Changed

• Sulfur outgassing by @nichollsh in #102
• Stellar modelling updates by @lsoucasse in #108
• Integrate JANUS package by @lsoucasse in #109
• Detangling input/output variables by @nichollsh in #111
• Simulation can be resumed by @nichollsh in #112
• Calculates some observational quantities by @nichollsh in #114
• A dummy escape module by @nichollsh in #115
• Documentation updates
• Other minor changes

New Contributors

• @lsoucasse made their first contribution in #108

Full Changelog: v24.05.29...v24.07.25

Version 24.05.29

What's Changed

• Updates to AGNI interface by @nichollsh in #88
• Updates to default case and removed duplicate code by @nichollsh in #89
• Rewrite SolveVolatiles outgassing script and other minor changes by @nichollsh in #98

Full Changelog: v24.04.04...v24.05.29

Version 24.04.04

Summary

• Stability improvements. The model now uses a more robust time-stepping scheme, which should mean that it does not take unphysically large steps that lead to submodules becoming decoupled. There are also other safety-checks, such as re-running SPIDER steps if the attempted step size and tolerances were inappropriate. New convergence criteria have been implemented for steady-state cases which do not solidify before reaching global radiative equilibrium.
• Documentation updates. The ReadTheDocs files are now more coherent, with tables for outlining the parameters and fixes to the installation instructions. The submodule AEOLUS has been renamed to JANUS, to avoid confusion with other codes.
• Model output. Plots have been improved and tidied, and are now generally faster to create. The model now outputs its stdout to a log file as well as to the terminal. The GridPROTEUS tool now uses queueing and multiprocessing, such that PROTEUS can now be easily run many times in parallel across a parameter space.
• Clouds. The model now includes clouds, through JANUS, although they haven't been extensively tested and are disabled by default.

Merged pull requests

• Update my e-mail address by @djbower in #58
• Significant model stability improvements, plotting updates, and other changes by @nichollsh in #67
• Support for JANUS, logging, GridProteus, and stability improvements by @nichollsh in #78
• Clouds and minor fixes by @nichollsh in #79
• Plot updates. Import optimisations. Config updates. by @nichollsh in #85

Full Changelog: v23.11.15...v24.04.04

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.

Module arrangement from Lichtenberg+ 2021 JGRP

Submodule versions from Lichtenberg et al. (2021, JGRP).