Magnesium silicate condensation in sub-Neptune envelopes: the fundamental link between chemistry, structure, and observables

Abstract

Chemical interactions between the hydrogen-dominated envelopes and silicate-rich interiors of sub-Neptunes likely play a key role in shaping their atmospheric structure, mass-radius relations, and upper atmosphere composition. While atmospheric abundances and structure deeply influence each other, many existing models have either considered the effects of chemical interactions without the structural implications or have modeled the envelope structure using oversimplified chemical networks. In this work, we introduce Rocky Raccoon, a coupled chemical equilibrium-atmospheric structure model. This model incorporates Mg, Si, O, C, and H species and produces self-consistent atmospheric chemical and thermal profiles for sub-Neptune envelopes, treating multi-species condensation for the first time. We find that the condensation sequence of magnesium silicates above a magma ocean is determined by the basal magma composition. We show that these condensation sequences drive the upper atmospheric composition to two endmembers: high oxygen abundances in the underlying melt produce compositions rich in oxygen-bearing volatiles (sub-solar C/O) and higher mean molecular weight atmospheres with $\mu \sim 4$ amu, while oxygen-poor melts produce lower mean molecular weight atmospheres dominated by methane and silane (super-solar C/O). The transition between the two regimes is abrupt and depends on melt properties like Mg/Si ratios and oxygen abundances. The different condensation sequences also lead to different thermal profiles, as deep convection is inhibited over different regions due to varying molecular weight gradients. Further experiments and simulations are key to resolving critical uncertainties in the condensation sequences and the corresponding significant impacts on sub-Neptune composition and thermal structure.